The Meaning of Birth
by Takeda Chiyo
Summary: Luke fon Fabre - heir to the throne of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, son of a Duke and... Angel? When Luke runs into an interesting man, he learns that his life is worth more than he realizes. Follow him on his quest to save Auldrant and discover the true meaning of his birth.
1. Prologue: A Cold Winter's Night

**The Meaning of Birth – 武田地夜**

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Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia_ or _Tales of the Abyss_ or the characters and story lines pertaining to it. They belong to their respective owners and Namco Bandai.

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_**Prologue**__**: A Cold Winter's Night**_

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There was a succession of three sharp taps at the door. The young brunette boy turned reluctantly, about to answer. He wasn't quick enough however, and the impatient guest opened the door on his own.

Lloyd gasped, instinctively reaching for his twin blades at his hips. Just as he had them half unsheathed, the man in front of him held out a hand, signaling for him to stop.

Lloyd glared, unsure of the man before him. "What do you want, Kratos?"

The elder sighed almost unnoticeably, warily eyeing the boy. He was no fool; he saw how the child's hands never left his swords' hilts. The red-haired man looked up, staring Lloyd in the eyes. "Would you take a walk with me? I would like to speak with you. Alone."

Lloyd scanned the man, once known as his enemy and now possibly his father. He couldn't deny that he had questions, and he wanted answers. Lloyd straightened, resting his hand on the handle of his sword unconsciously. He nodded. "I guess."

Kratos followed as Lloyd left the room and inn before taking the lead himself. He led the 17-year-old to a balcony just outside the Church of Martel. Lloyd stood next to the Angel, glancing back and forth between the traitor and the scenery. He settled his gaze on the town, a small city called Flanoir. It was beautiful the way the moonbeams lit the falling snow, and it seemed to bathe the whole town in silver.

"I assume you have questions." Kratos, too, was watching the city. Although he would never admit it aloud, he was just as afraid as he knew the boy was.

Lloyd nodded, confirming Kratos' assumption and, unknowingly, his fears too. "Yeah, I do. My father?" Lloyd turned an accusing glare on the Seraphim. "You say you're my father? After all the times you've hurt us? After you've betrayed us and tried to kill us?" He was screaming now. He still refused to accept that this man was his real dad.

"Lloyd, I—" Kratos stopped abruptly and spun around, unsheathing his sword quick as lightning. He heard Lloyd gasp and the rasp of metal as he pulled out his own dual blades. The Angel's red eyes scanned the area, searching for the source of the sound that caught his attention. It was familiar, he knew— he just didn't know what exactly it was.

"Kratos!" The man in question looked up along with his son to see a man floating above them, his long blonde hair turned silver by the moonlight. "You, of all people… I can understand Yuan betraying me, but you? I knew I should never have trusted humans…"

Lloyd watched the man slowly descend on his multihued wings, his hair barely parting to reveal crazed blue eyes. Kratos grimaced. He hadn't seen his old friend look this distraught since his sister, Martel, had passed away.

"Yggdrasill! What do you want?" Lloyd readied himself in a fighting stance. Although he hoped it didn't come to it, he wanted to be prepared should a fight arise.

Yggdrasill glared harshly at Kratos and held a hand before him. "I think you need to find where your loyalties truly lay, my dear friend… lest you end up like Yuan." A small orb of pale yellow light appeared in the center of his palm, the intensity of the light increasing with every second. "Go back, Kratos. Back to it all. And return to me!"

Kratos' eyes widened in realization. "Mithos, no!"

Where before a man and a boy once stood, new snow fell, returning the scene to a peaceful winter landscape, uncaring of the two's fate.


	2. Chapter 1: Who I Met in Keterburg

**The Meaning of Birth –**** 武田地夜**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia_ or _Tales of the Abyss_ or the characters and story lines pertaining to it. They belong to their respective owners and Namco Bandai.

* * *

_**Chapter 1: **__**Who I Met in Keterburg**_

* * *

There was a crash, followed by a heavy thud. Natalia screamed, startled.

"Are we going to sink?" a young dark haired girl named Anise cried.

A blonde man, no more than twenty or twenty-one, looked up at the ship's captain. "I'll go check it out, Jade."

Jade nodded, already examining the diagnostics. "Yes, do that. You are the best with fon machines after all, Guy."

Guy nodded and ran off toward the engine room. Luke watched his friend go.

"Master, I can't swim!" Luke looked down at the small creature – a cheagle, it was called – as it flew frantically around him.

The redhead smiled kindly at him. "I know," he cooed. "It'll be all right. We won't sink."

"It's no good, Jade. The engines are out," came Guy's voice from over an intercom. "I can get them running again, but only temporarily. I'd like to find a port somewhere and get them fixed."

Tear, a light haired girl of about 16, looked up at Jade. "A port? The closest one is Keterburg Port, on the continent of Sylvana. Will we be able to make it there?"

There was another thud and a bit of static as Guy's voice was heard again. "It might last that long. We're gonna have to be quick though."

"Then let's go there," Luke suggested. "It's the best chance we have. Right, Jade?"

"…Yes." Jade quickly keyed the coordinates and began directing the Tartarus toward Keterburg Port.

-(-)-

Once Jade had made port, the others readied to disembark. As soon as they touched land, however, they were stopped by a Malkuth soldier.

"Excuse me, sir," he said, addressing Jade. Jade watched the man, clearly making him uneasy. "I'd like to confirm your passport and your ship's nationality."

Jade hardened his gaze, again unnerving the soldier, although to anyone else he seemed to be almost… smiling. He spoke confidently. "I am Colonel Jade Curtiss, Third Division, Malkuth Imperial Forces."

"Colonel Curtiss?" The man was obviously shaken. "Pardon my behavior, sir, but I heard in Akzeriuth, you…"

"That is a classified matter. During our mission our ship's engine broke down and so we stopped here. I will explain the circumstances with the governor, Viscount Osborne. Feel free to examine the ship."

"Yes, sir! Do you need someone to lead you to the town?" The soldier made a few hand motions and a small group of soldiers made their way aboard the Tartarus.

Jade shook his head. "No, that's not necessary. This is my hometown, so I know the area well." The colonel began leading the group out of the port.

Luke was taken aback. "This is… your hometown? You grew up here?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did." Jade didn't so much as glance at him.

Luke blinked. _Is he okay…?_ He shivered as a freezing breeze ran past him, chilling him to the bone. "This place is so cold. Is it always snowing like this?"

Guy nodded. "Yep. The 'Silver World'."

"It truly is beautiful," Tear commented. "The snow, I mean. It's been a while since I've seen any."

Luke looked back at Tear, sorrow welling in his chest. _That's right. Tear's lived in the Qliphoth all her life._

"Master, Master!" This stuff is amazing!" Luke spun around, watching as Mieu flew around, playing with the falling snow. "I've never seen snow before! But it's so cold!"

Luke laughed while Natalia comforted the small cheagle. "Now, now, Mieu. We'll be in Keterburg before long. Then we can stay at an inn, all right?"

"Oh, Jade. What are we going to do about repairs, anyway?" Luke asked, holding Mieu close to him to keep the small animal warm.

"Well, we're here now. Let's also request that of the governor," the colonel suggested.

Luke gazed about the town, amazed. After everywhere he had been – Baticul, Engeve – this was by far the most beautiful. The way the falling snow was illuminated by the dim sunlight only seemed to exaggerate its beauty. It was a rather small city, and it gave him a very quaint feel. _It's nothing like Baticul,_ Luke thought. _To think… Jade was born here._

"Ah, here we are," announced Jade as they approached the door of a rather large manor. It didn't compare to Luke's home in Baticul, but it was rather large in comparison to the rest of the city.

Jade opened the door, asking the maid if Viscount Osborne was in. She directed them to a room in the back.

They were greeted with the sight of an office setting and an amazed, "Brother?" coming from the sandy blonde woman at the desk.

Luke gasped at Jade. "Brother? Seriously?"

Jade ignored him, instead addressing the woman. "Well, Nephry. It's been a while. Since your wedding, right?"

"Jade, what's happened? I heard you died in Akzeriuth…" Her light brown eyes searched for answers in his features.

Jade glanced away, gazing down at the desk. "Well, the truth is…" He explained everything that had happened up to that point.

Nephry sat down, eyes wide in amazement, trying to grasp what she had heard. "I see… that's an extraordinary story. But the most important thing is that you're safe."

She looked around at the rest of the group, removing her glasses and cleaning them with a small cloth. She looked rather young, but professional. She wore her blonde hair up in a bun and was dressed in a black pencil skirt with a white blazer. "Well, since we're having the Tartarus inspected, the next issue is that you meet with Emperor Peony. He's been very worried."

Jade laughed, his red eyes filled with mirth. "Oh my, because he thought I was dead?"

Nephry shook her head. "The only one who believed you were still alive was the Emperor." She rose, smiling. "Everyone, please stay here and wait until the repairs can be completed. This is a sightseeing town, so there isn't any danger. I've booked a room at the inn, so feel free to stay the night."

Guy smiled. "Thanks, Governor Osborne. We appreciate it." He turned and left, the others following suit.

Luke began to leave as well when he felt a hand fall on his shoulder. He heard the Viscount's voice low in his ear. "I have something to speak with you about. Please come back alone later." Luke heard her walk back and sit down at her desk. He then left the room.

Luke stepped out, back into the falling snow. He stared at the ground. _What could Nephry want to talk to me about?_ he wondered.

"Hey, Luke! You coming, or are you just gonna stare at the snow all day?"

Luke glanced up at his friend, startled out of his thoughts. Guy walked up to him. "What's with you? You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Luke assured. "Let's get going. It's freezing out here!"

Jade signed the registration form at the desk while the others waited. When he finished, he handed it to the clerk, who smiled humbly. "I heard from the Governor. It's a great honor to have the renowned Dr. Balfour stay here." Jade smiled in acknowledgment as they moved toward the elevator. "Have a nice night, sir."

Luke glanced around as though he was looking for something. "Ah, I forgot something at Nephry's place. I'm going to go get it."

"How about if I go, too?" Guy suggested.

Luke gazed at Guy. "Nephry is a woman, you know."

Guy shrugged. "I like looking at beautiful women."

"Guy is a guy, after all," Natalia laughed.

Anise feigned horror. "Guy! She's a married woman!"

Guy held up his hands as though in surrender. "N-no! You're wrong! I didn't mean anything weird like that…"

Mieu flew around Luke's head. "Master, I'll come too!"

"Gah, you're so annoying!" Luke groaned. "I'll be fine by myself."

-(-)-

"I'm sorry. When I heard you were a replica, I felt that I had to tell you about my brother. Please, have a seat."

Luke did, asking, "What about?"

"About why my brother created fomicry," said Nephry. Luke saw that there were small tears in her brown eyes. He felt bad, but decided to listen for now. "I can remember it even now. It was a day that a doll that was very important to me broke due to my own carelessness.

"At the time, my brother had worked out the basics of the fomicry techniques and replicated the doll," she explained. "He was nine years old."

Luke gasped. "That's… unbelievable…"

Nephry, too, sat behind her desk, not looking at Luke. "I know. But it's the truth. Any normal person would have bought a new doll, but he made me a replica. I felt that way of thinking wasn't normal."

Luke gazed at the carpet, absorbing this new information. _Wasn't normal… Saying it that way…_

Nephry continued. "He is gentler now, but he was a devil as a child. He mastered fonic artes difficult even for adults, and he enjoyed killing harmless monsters. He didn't understand what it meant for living things to die.

"The one who changed him was his teacher, Professor Nebilim. She was a healer who could use the Seventh Fonon. Since my brother can't use the Seventh Fonon, he respected her. And then a tragedy occurred.

"While trying to use the Seventh Fonon, my brother made a mistake and lost control of her fonic artes. His arte injured the professor and burned down the school."

"Was she killed?" asked Luke.

Nephry shook her head. "No, not immediately. My brother, too, barely survived. He had thought, 'If I hurry and make a replica, I'll save the professor!'"

Luke clenched his fist against his knee. _Replica's aren't just replacements…! It's not like that!_

"My brother extracted Nebilim's data and created a replica," Nephry continued. "But the replica was just a monster."

"And the real Nebilim…?" Luke almost hated to ask.

"She died." Nephry sighed. After that, his talent earned him a place in a distinguished military family, and he was adopted by the Curtiss's. My brother probably thought it was a better environment in order to study how to revive the professor."

There was something that Luke didn't get, though. "But now he's forbidding people to make replicas. Why?" he asked.

Nephry smiled and rose. "It's thanks to Emperor Peony. It's very gracious, but the Emperor is my brother's closest friend."

"I see…" Luke watched Nephry, his green eyes following her as she walked to a window and gazed out at the city.

"In reality, I still feel that my brother even now wants to revive Professor Nebilim." The Viscount sighed again.

Luke rose and stood beside her. "I don't think he does, Nephry." He looked up at her, watching the emotions dance across her features.

"Perhaps," she conceded. "It might just be needless worry. Even so, I thought you could be a deterring force against that."

Nephry laughed a small, feminine laugh and said, "I'm sorry. That was a rather long story. Thank you for listening, though." She smiled down at Luke.

He smiled back. "Thank you for telling me. I really don't think he wants that, but I'll try to stop him if he does."

Nephry nodded. "Thank you. You should go now, before your friends discover your absence."

Luke nodded, thanked her one last time, and then left the residence.

On his back to the inn, Luke's head exploded in pain. He fell to the ground in Keterburg Square, clutching his head.

_Asch?_ he called. _Is that you?_

There was no response, save for faint cries he heard not in his mind, but in reality, just outside the city. The pain subsided, and as soon as he could walk again, Luke ran after the shouts.

Outside Keterburg, a frightening sight met his eyes. There was a young blonde girl, close to his age, facing off against a large snow treant. She was faring okay it seemed, but what frightened Luke most was why she was fighting.

In the treant's claw-like branch, it held a small white haired boy. He was unconscious. Luke, suddenly overcome with anger and fear for the boy's life, ran into the fight, unsheathing his sword and letting out a terrible battle cry. He slashed and stabbed, dodging here, parrying there. He was vaguely aware of the girl fighting beside him with two ring-like objects.

She threw one of her weapons and it sliced through the monster's arm. It let out a terrible and ran off, leaving the children in the blood covered snow.

Luke turned to the girl and realized that the arm she had sliced off had been holding the boy. She pried him free of the branches grip, showing amazing strength for a girl her size. Luke knew it tired her out almost immediately and saw just then how badly the both of them were injured.

The white haired boy was completely unconscious and covered in bruises and cuts. His clothes were torn, there was a large gash on his left leg, and his lips were turning blue. There was no doubt in Luke's mind that hypothermia would be setting in soon.

The girl was no better, although she was still awake. There were two large cuts on either side of her face and three stretching from her right shoulder to the inside of her elbow, the blood tainting her once white and blue dress and tunic.

At the moment, she was trying to lift the boy, but Luke saw that she hadn't the strength. He took the boy instead, lifting him with ease. He looked at the child in amazement. _He's so light… he can't be older than nine or ten. What's a kid like him and a girl like her doing all the way out here?_

"Are you all right?" he asked the girl.

She stared up at him with wide blue eyes and nodded slowly. "Y-yes… I'm fine. Thank you, mister."

"It was no problem. And don't call me 'mister.' My name is Luke."

The girl nodded again. "Then thank you, Luke. Um… do you know where there might be an inn…?"

Luke nodded and said, "You need help. My friend can help you both. Can you come with me?"

The girl looked startled. "Your friend can…? Yes! Thank you, Luke!" She picked a strange looking object up off of the ground and began walking after Luke into the town.

On the way to the inn, Luke asked, "Who are you guys, anyway?"

"Oh! I'm Colette. This is my friend, Genis." Colette looked at the small boy in Luke's arms, her blue eyes filled with worry.

"Colette, huh." She nodded. "Then Colette, can you open the door for me?"

The girl grabbed the handle to the inn and yanked it open. Luke was startled to see the colonel standing in the lobby. Jade gazed at him accusingly.

"What happened?" he demanded. He looked at the two strangers, no doubt guessing what had already occurred.

"They were hurt. I'm taking them to Tear." Luke began walking toward the elevator, Colette followed closely, holding tightly to the strange object.

Jade boarded as well just as the elevator closed and pressed their floor number. There was an awkward silence as the three – four – of them waited. Jade spoke first.

"You heard from Nephry, didn't you," he accused. It was more a statement than a question.

"I didn't hear anything," Luke denied.

Jade adjusted his glasses, looking away from him. "My, what a bad boy. Making up lies." Luke shifted his weight nervously. "It's fine. I'll tell you right now, I have no intention of bringing back the professor."

"Really?" Luke asked. He trusted Jade, but it was nice to hear the fonist confirm his assumptions.

Jade was about to answer, but the elevator rang, signaling that they had reached the desired floor. He glanced at Luke. "We'll talk about this later, but for now, do not tell anyone about this."

Luke nodded in understanding. "I won't."

Jade exited the elevator first, and then Luke, and then Colette close behind him. The colonel opened the door without even needing to be asked and held it open for Luke and the girl.

"Tear," the redhead whispered. "Tear, wake up."

She did, blinking and yawning. Tear gasped and leapt out of bed when she saw the wounded strangers.

"Here, put him on your bed," she directed Luke. As he did, Tear woke Guy, who had been sharing a bed with the redhead. Tear patted a spot next to the boy. "Please sit here," she asked Colette.

"What in the world happened?" Natalia asked as she, too, awoke. She couldn't take her eyes off the boy's unconscious form. By now, everyone was awake and wondering whom the two were.

"I found them outside," Luke said. He watched as Tear began reciting the Revitalization hymn. She was tending to the boy first as he was in the worst condition. "They were having trouble and were being attacked. I had to help them."

Guy got up and threw on a light jacket to cover his bare chest. "That was nice of you, Luke. I guess you really have changed."

"I told you, Guy. I'm not like I used to be." Luke never took his eyes off of the girl.

Tear was now applying the hymn to Colette, and Luke watched as the wounds on her face nearly vanished instantly. He noticed now that there was a strange red gem around her neck. Or was it… embedded in her skin? He couldn't tell, and it didn't seem to be bothering her any, so he let it go.

Anise was leaning over the boy, whom Luke recalled being called Genis. "Wow, he's so young," she observed. "And there aren't that many people with white hair."

Jade sat down in a chair near the back of the room and said, "Well, miss? I assume you have no place to stay for the night."

Colette shook her head, smiling in gratitude as Tear gave her a Lemon Gel. "No, sir. We don't. We don't even really know where we are."

"We're in Keterburg," the blonde swordsman told her. "In Malkuth territory."

Colette looked confused. "Malkuth? Keterburg? Um… but I thought we were in Flanoir, on Tethe'alla."

Now it was Guy's turn to look confused. "Tethe'alla? What's that?"

The blue-eyed girl turned to the servant. "It's a world that lies parallel to ours. It's a lot healthier than our world, but it's just as nice," Colette explained.

Anise made a "cuckoo" face, spinning her finger around her ear. Natalia glared at her, and the small guardian stuck her tongue out in response.

Ion smiled sweetly at the girl. "What world do you come from then?" the green haired boy asked.

"Sylvarant," she answered confidently. "Genis and I actually come from the town of Iselia, but we wound up in a huge mess and ended up going to Tethe'alla, and now I guess something even bigger has happened so we're stuck here in… Ketelburk? Keterbury? Oh, I'm sorry… I forgot the name!" She smiled apologetically, again thanking Tear as she was given an Apple Gel for what remained of the cuts on her face.

Jade looked startled. "Trans-dimensional travel? But that should be impossible…"

Luke glanced at the fonist. "Trans-di – what?"

Colette nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yes, Sheena said something about that! Because our worlds lay on top of one another, never really touching so we don't know they're there, but they really are."

Luke moved so that he now stood next to Tear. The boy was breathing evenly now, and seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

"Was there anyone else with you?" he asked Colette. "I mean, they could be in trouble if they're in a strange place that they know nothing about."

A look of worry immediately took over Colette's face. "Lloyd…! And Raine… And Sheena, and Zelos, and Regal, and Presea! They're all missing! Oh, what am I going to do…"

"You're not actually buying this, are you?" Anise asked condescendingly. "Wow, Luke. You're dumber than I thought."

Luke turned to the puppet master. "Think about it! There was a whole world beneath us and we didn't even know about it! Isn't it possible that there could be other worlds?"

"But Luke," started Natalia, "the Qliphoth exists in our realm. What she's saying is impossible. There can't be parallel universes."

Defiance shone in Luke's eyes. "Well, I say we should help them. We're traveling all over the place already. Who knows? We might find some of their friends along the way."

Guy nodded. "I agree with Luke. We can't just leave these two here."

"Yes, you're right. As a princess of Kimlasca I cannot allow even citizens of nonexistent countries to be left stranded in an unfamiliar place. I, too, will help you," vowed Natalia elegantly despite her mocking words.

Colette's eyes brightened. "Really? You would? Oh, thank you so much Mister Luke!"

Luke smiled awkwardly.

"I'll help, too!" exclaimed Mieu as he hopped into Colette's lap. "A friend of Master's is a friend of mine!"

"Oh, you're so cute!" Colette picked up the cheagle and hugged him before setting him in her lap again. "Thank you very much."

Jade shrugged. "Well, we are already heading to Grand Chokmah. We can speak with Emperor Peony about it and check there. We can see what comes up after that."

"I can't believe you're all listening to this!" groaned Anise.

"Since you don't have a place to stay, you and your friend can stay in our room tonight," offered Tear, ignoring the 13-year-old. "Is that all right?"

Colette nodded. "Yes, thank you all so much."

"You can have my and Luke's bed," said Guy. "We'll sleep on the floor."

"Are you sure?" the blonde haired girl seemed uncertain.

"Yeah, it's fine," assured Luke. "Don't worry about it."

Luke and his servant settled on the ground with some extra pillows and blankets. Everyone said their goodnights and Tear blew out the lantern. With one last thank you, Colette set the object on the nightstand and climbed into the bed beside Genis, her last drowsy thoughts of the boy she so loved.


	3. Chapter 2: God Generals and Angels?

**The Meaning of Birth – ****武田地夜**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia_ or _Tales of the Abyss_ or any characters or story lines pertaining to it.

* * *

_**Chapter 2: **__**God-Generals and… Angels?**_

* * *

Morning came all too soon. Guy was the first awake, aside from Jade, and so decided to put together a small breakfast out of what they had. Luckily, he managed to dig up a few eggs and decided to scramble them. He poached one and set it aside for himself.

When he finished cooking, he went to wake Luke and the others, leaving Jade alone as he flipped through what Guy thought to be reports on the Tartarus.

Luke rose grudgingly, cursing the blonde swordsman as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The redhead leapt to his feet when the scent of eggs reached his nose and he had already eaten more than half of what was on his plate by the time everyone rose. That is, almost everyone.

Luke quickly gulped down the rest of his food and, after giving a few compliments to the chef, asked, "How are they?"

Colette and Genis still slept soundly in the small bed, oblivious to the noise of packing and breakfast.

Guy shrugged and went back to eating his poached egg. He was leaning against the counter of a small kitchen area while Anise, Tear, Natalia, and Ion ate at the table. Jade, as usual, was eating only an apple, still deeply immersed in his reports, while Luke was making the preparations to leave.

Colette woke, blinking and yawning. She looked around the room, a panicked look on her face. Then she remembered what had happened the night before… and where she was. She turned to her left and started shaking Genis to wake him. The boy grumbled some rude things at her and rolled over, covering himself up to the neck with the comforter. Colette got out of bed to join the others in the kitchen, deciding to let him sleep.

"Did you sleep well?" Ion asked as Anise took his empty plate. Colette nodded and sat down at an empty spot at the table.

"How are you feeling?" Natalia had also just finished her eggs and was gazing at the blonde girl intently.

Colette blushed under the scrutiny. "I feel fine. Thank you very much for healing me, miss."

Tear nodded and rose to take her and Natalia's plates to the sink. "Of course. It's my duty as a soldier to attend to wounded civilians."

Colette blinked in amazement. "You're a soldier?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," the sergeant answered.

"Pardon me. Not to be rude or anything, but… who are you, anyway?" Guy asked. He too placed his plate in the sink and began to wash them.

The girl blushed again, this time in embarrassment. "Ah… I'm Colette Brunell. And this is my friend, Ge—"

"Genis Sage."

Everyone turned to the source of the voice. Even Luke had stopped packing and was watching the scene. The boy had woken up and his sea-blue eyes were filled with fear, anger, and uncertainty. In his hand, he was holding the small object – a kendama, Luke realized – that Colette had the night before.

The boy stood and watched everybody, daring them to make a move.

Colette smiled. "Genis, you're awake! Did you sleep okay?"

Genis' stance faltered slightly as he saw how relaxed Colette was. The anger had vanished, but the fear and uncertainty remained. "Who… are you people?" His eyes had settled on Luke's form.

"I am Natalia Luzu Kimlasca Lanvaldear, princess of the Kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear," said the peridot eyed 18-year-old as she gave a small curtsy.

"I'm Guy Cecil," said the 21-year-old. "I'm a servant of Luke's." He finished the dishes and dried his hands on a spare towel. "What do you guys like to eat? We don't have much, but I'll see what I can do."

"Are you sure, Guy?" Colette asked. "I wouldn't want to be a burden…"

Guy waved it off. "It's no problem. Besides, I'm the only one that can cook around here," he said. He noticed how the small boy hadn't stopped watching Luke the entire time. In reality, he was trying to distract the child. "You sure don't want Natalia doing it."

Colette laughed as Natalia stalked towards the swordsman, lecturing him and torturing him with her close vicinity at the same time.

Genis tore his eyes from the redhead to watch the two much to Luke's appreciation.

Anise popped up in front of the boy, looking him over. Genis gave a small squeak and jumped back, startled. "I'm Anise Tatlin, Fon Master Guardian of the Fon Master Ion!" She leaned close and whispered in Genis' ear, "Don't mind Guy. He's just a chicken that can't eve handle being around a girl."

"I can't help it! Women are scary!" Guy shouted. Natalia got bored with torturing him and decided to sit down at the table again, allowing Guy to catch his breath.

Ion smiled. "I am Fon Master Ion of the Order of Lorelei." He walked up to Genis and held out a hand. "I'm pleased to meet you, Genis Sage."

Genis took the hand and shook it slowly. "Fon… master…?"

"It's the highest level of our religion," explained Tear. "I'm Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants of the Grand Maestro faction of the Order of Lorelei."

"Sergeant?" Genis questioned. "You're in the army?"

Tear nodded.

Jade heaved a large sigh and shook his head, a sardonic smile gracing his lips. "Well, if you insist. I'm Colonel Jade Curtiss, Third Division, Malkuth Imperial Forces," said the fonist. "I am 35, single, and am currently living alone. My hobbies are – "

"Oh, please," sighed Guy. He began making another smaller batch of eggs for the two.

Jade shrugged, the same smile dancing on his lips as Genis gave him a strange look.

Colette rose from her place at the table and grabbed Luke's hand, bringing him to the boy. "And this is Luke. He's the one that rescued us last night."

Luke smiled bashfully, but nodded. "You were in really bad shape. I'm glad you're feeling better."

Genis nodded. "So, you're just Luke? No long introductions or anything weird?"

"Luke fon Fabre, that's his full name," said Guy as he set two plates of eggs on the small table.

"He's the only rich son of a duke of Kimlasca," Anise said dreamily.

"And he's my fiancée and heir to the throne," finished Natalia.

Luke glanced down, suddenly finding the carpet very interesting. "I'm not the only son… and Asch is your fiancée, not me."

Guy placed a hand on Luke's shoulder and whispered low in his ear, "Forget about Asch, Luke. It doesn't matter what was. He's Asch, and you're you, and nobody here cares if you're a replica or otherwise."

Luke looked Guy in the eyes and saw genuine truth in them. The redhead smiled. "Thanks, Guy."

Guy nodded.

"Well, at any rate, we should get moving." Jade rose and tucked the reports into his pack. "The repairs should be finished by now and we don't exactly have time to waste."

Natalia asked, "Are you still planning on coming with us?"

"Where?" asked Genis as he sat down and began to eat.

"These people were kind enough to let us go with them to… what was the name again?" Colette asked, taking a bite of the eggs.

"Grand Chokmah," Tear answered. "It's the capital of the Malkuth Empire."

Colette grinned. "Yeah, there. That way we can look for the others."

Genis stared at his eggs, pushing them around with his fork. "Yeah, if they even made it here… We don't even know where we are. Are we in Tethe'alla still? Or Sylvarant? Or Derris-Kharlan?"

"We're not in any of those," said Colette.

Jade nodded. "I believe that you two, and your friends if the case may be, participated in trans-dimensional travel. The world that you are in now is not your native home, nor this… Tethe'alla. However, we'll see if we can help you."

"I'll make sure you guys make I back home," announced Luke. "I promise."

The colonel opened the door. "Hurry up you two, or I'll leave without you." He shut the door behind him as he exited the hotel room.

Guy shook his head in wonder. "That Jade…"

Colette put her plate in the sink. Genis followed suit soon after and, after grabbing the kendama, followed everyone as they left the room.

Downstairs, they found Nephry waiting for them with Jade. She smiled as she saw Luke.

"The repairs have been made to the Tartarus," said the Viscount. "I hope you rested well."

Luke nodded. "Yes, we did. Thanks, Nephry."

Jade's sister smiled in acknowledgment. "Then please, you may depart at any time," she said, and then to Jade, "Please let the Emperor know of your safety."

"Of course," agreed the fonist.

Anise grabbed Ion's hand and bolted toward the door, already heading for the port. "Let's get going, then! To Grand Chokmah!"

-(-)-

Genis smiled, his eyes brightening as they roamed over the surrounding plain. He noticed that though it looked similar at first glance, the world he was in was truly very different from his own. Everything from the plant life to the monsters that roamed the countryside seemed different from what he was used to. Tethe'alla wasn't even this different. _I bet Raine would like this a lot._ His smile faltered at the thought of his sister. _I hope we find her. And Lloyd and the others, too._ He looked up at the clear sky, gazing at the streak of rock-like objects with curiosity. _What is that?_

The group had landed at Rotelro Bridge, and it was now nearing midday. They had already made it more than halfway to the forest and so decided to stop for lunch. Tear, Guy, and Anise were assisting Jade with setting up a small camp, and Luke was doing what he could to help when asked. At the moment, Colette was standing with Ion and Natalia, telling them some of what had recently happened to her and her friends. The others were listening with half an ear.

Ion nodded thoughtfully. "So then, you're one of them? A Chosen One?"

"Yes, I am," said Colette. "It's an honor, and it's hard, but I think I can do it."

"What exactly does a Chosen One do?" asked the princess. "Are they like royalty?"

Colette shook her head. "No, not exactly. They're needed in order to restore Mana to the world."

"Mana?" Ion was puzzled. "I've never heard of that before."

"Mana is something that all living things are born with and need," the blonde girl explained. "Without it, life can't go on. Everything will die."

Natalia leaned closer, absorbed in the conversation. "And you can restore it to the world? How?"

Colette smiled and started to explain when she was interrupted by Genis.

"Hey. What's that? In the sky."

Ion looked in the direction Genis was indicating. "Ah. That's the fon belt."

"What's that?" the silver haired boy asked, interested.

Tear began to explain this time. "The fon belt is composed of fragments of the many different fonons in our world. It's a ring that encircles our planet. Every now and then, fon stones fall from the fon belt to the surface."

"What happens if they fall?" asked Genis.

"It has the same effect of a meteorite," answered Tear. "A good example is the oasis in the Zao Desert. A fon stone fell and opened up the cavern of an underground lake, creating a natural spring."

Genis turned and looked at the soldier, puzzled. "So, what are these 'fon stones' good for if they're just rocks?"

Guy passed out the bowls of soup to the others and they thanked him. Everybody moved into a circle around the cooking fire, some sitting on boulders or logs while others sat on the ground.

Ion took over the conversation. "Each fonon is an element. The First is Shadow, the Second is Earth, and then Wind, then Water, Fire, Light, and now Sound. There are seven total. Oh, thank you, Anise!" He nodded and smiled gratefully and took the bowl of miso from his guardian. She sat down beside him.

Guy took a spoonful of the soup and asked, "Do they have anything like that in your world? I mean, I can't imagine life without fonons."

Genis shook his head. "No. We have Mana, not 'fonons'."

"Then, Mana must be your version of fonons," concluded Luke. He was resting the bowl of soup on his leg, trying to let the substance cool.

"You know, Luke. That may just be the most intelligible thing to ever come out of your mouth. You may be right," agreed Jade.

Luke squashed down a feeling of annoyance, trying hard not to resort back to his old self. "You know what I mean…"

Jade rose, leaving his bowl on the ground next to Guy. "We'll discuss that possibility once we reach Grand Chokmah. However, we're losing daylight." The colonel turned and walked away, leaving the other eight (nine plus Mieu) staring after him. Natalia shook her head in disbelief while Guy and Tear sighed.

Guy began gathering the bowls and put the fire out with dirt. "That Jade…"

-(-)-

"I'm sorry, but no one is permitted to pass."

Luke glared at the Malkuth soldier. "But this is Fon Master Ion of the Order of Lorelei!" he heard Anise shout.

"Then it should be all right!" Luke urged. He felt himself take a step forward, anger and frustration nearly taking hold of him. They had finally made it to Theor Forest, and they couldn't even get in. Why wouldn't they let him through?

The soldier shook his head, he and his partner remaining firm. "No. it may be a trap. We must refuse even people from Daath."

"Wait here while I go and speak with His Imperial Majesty. I will have him grant permission for you to pass through immediately," decided Jade.

"So we'll be left here until you get back," assumed Guy.

Luke cursed under his breath. He watched the Malkuth soldiers lead the colonel through the gate and into the forest, leaving the entrance unguarded. "Now what?" he asked, heaving a sigh of frustration.

"We wait." Tear sat down on the grass in front of the gate. The others did the same, except for Guy, who was leaning comfortably against the gate's frame. "In the meantime, why don't you tell us more about you and the problem you're in?" she suggested to the newcomers.

Genis and Colette glanced at each other. They both nodded and Genis began to explain. It was nearly an hour later when the story was done. Everyone was amazed and sat stunned while they waited for Jade to return.

Luke still couldn't wrap his head around the whole thing. He was absently stroking Mieu while he replayed the information in his head.

Apparently, Colette was the "Chosen of Regeneration" and it was her job to make her world – Sylvarant – prosper again buy unlocking the four seals of the spirits (there are also four spirits in Tethe'alla). This would allow "Mana" to flow back into their land, making the world healthy again. Luke decided that part was easy enough to understand, but her still didn't get the other half.

Along the way, they had been attacked by people known as "Desians" – half-elves that wanted the Chosen to fail (elves were a race that had come to their world from a comet called Derris-Kharlan about 4,000 earlier before something called the "Kharlan War"). They continually fought her and her friends, trying to stop her from unlocking the seals. They had met a man named Yuan who was the leader of the Renegades, a group of half-elves that did not side with the Desians or Cruxis, their religion centered around the goddess Martel.

They also found out that the Desians were creating Exspheres in human ranches. Exspheres were parasitic crystals that require a human host to grow. When an Exsphere is removed without something called a "key crest", the Mana (like fonons, all creatures have Mana in their body and cannot live without it) in the host body goes out of control and the host goes insane, turning into a monster. There had been a secret project known as the Angelus Project being carried out my both the Desians and Cruxis, who were apparently working together. The Angelus Project was an attempt to grow a Cruxis Crystal inside a human. Cruxis Crystals are what transform a human into an Angel. (In fact, Colette was wearing one around her neck. Every chosen had one, including Tethe'alla's.)

Later, they met a female assassin named Sheena that had been trying to kill Colette. Sheena was from Tethe'alla, the flourishing world that existed on the other side of the parallel dimension. The Tethe'allans didn't want the Chosen to succeed for it would mean that the Mana would be reversed. As it were, Tethe'alla had most of the Mana, leaving Sylvarant with nearly none. If Mana were to be given back to Sylvarant, Tethe'alla would then suffer. (Genis: "Like a see-saw. When one side goes up, the other goes down.")

Eventually, they discovered that the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla used to be one. When the Kharlan War occurred, four heroes – Mithos, Kratos, Yuan, and Martel – stopped the fighting and arranged a treaty with the two warring kingdoms. Mithos didn't want anything like the Kharlan war to happen again, so he separated the two kingdoms into two worlds with the Eternal Sword. Mithos and his companions had Cruxis Crystals, and as a result had become Angels, living forever in their current state. They went to live upon Derris-Kharlan, the comet that separates the two worlds. Mithos turned out to actually be the leader of both Cruxis _and_ the Desians and now goes by the name of Yggdrasill and his murdered sister is the very goddess that they worship. Sheena and a few others from Tethe'alla agreed to help reunite the worlds somehow.

Luke groaned. All of this thinking hurt his head, and none of it made sense. But he did promise to help Genis and Colette, and that was one promise he'd keep.

"They're still not back yet," commented Guy.

Natalia sighed, stopping mid-pace. "Just waiting around is quite a chore."

The princess was cut off by a sudden scream from inside the forest. Everyone leaped to their feet, hands and their weapons and senses alert.

Tear scanned the surrounding area, finally turning to the gate. "That was…"

"…a scream," finished Mieu. The cheagle flew up and landed on Luke's shoulder, his face covered in fear.

"Let's go check it out!" suggested Guy. The group ran into the forest.

About midway through the woods, Natalia ran to a man she saw lying on the ground. She knelt beside him and uttered the First Aid spell, healing the minor injuries that were visible.

"What happened?" asked Anise.

The Malkuth soldier was breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath. He grunted as he tried to pull himself into a sitting position. "The Oracle Knights… damn…" He cursed a bit more as Natalia healed a few other wounds.

"The Oracle Knights?" Tear echoed. "It could be Van…"

Luke paced around the group, watching for any signs of danger with Guy. "What are they doing in Grand Chokmah?"

"Are they here to destroy a Sephiroth Tree?" Anise inquired.

"Ion shook his head. "There shouldn't be a Sephiroth around here."

"We won't make any progress just standing around here," said Genis. "Let's go after those Oracle guys!"

Colette stared at the boy in alarm. "Genis…?"

"I don't know what's going on, but I've put up with too much of this from people who think they're better than everyone else," he explained.

Natalia rose, gently setting the near unconscious soldier back on the ground. "I agree. I won't forgive this outrage!" The princess began leading the group further into the forest.

"Wait a minute," said Tear. The others stopped and looked at her. "If we just barge in there, we'll be spotted by the Malkuth army."

"It would be pointless to start a fight with the Malkuth soldiers," Guy agreed. "We're going to have to be stealthy."

Anise quirked her eyebrow at the young Fon Master. "Hide and seek, huh? Try not to be clumsy, Ion."

Ion blushed and hung his head in embarrassment.

Luke sighed and sulked after the group. "Now we have to go without being noticed? Jeez…"

-(-)-

Luke pumped his fist in the air. "Yes! We're almost to the exit! I hope those Oracle Knights haven't already made it to the town." He began running for the exit gate just a few dozen feet ahead of him.

Colette placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wait! That man's hurt!"

A sense of dread came over Luke as he saw the soldier on the ground. Not because of the amount of blood seeping from his wound, but because of the man standing above him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Natalia place an arrow on the string of her bow and take aim at the man. Her stance was firm, her bowstring taught. Fierce anger danced in her eyes. The others readied themselves for battle, even small Genis.

The black haired man grinned in approval. "That's a good reaction for a princess."

"You're the one from the desert. Largo!" shouted Natalia.

"The Intruder was you!" Luke exclaimed. "What are you doing in Grand Chokmah?"

Largo's grin grew sinister. Luke felt everyone around him grow wary as the tension in the air thickened. "It isn't necessary for you to worry about what's ahead." He nodded his head quickly. "Boy."

"Huh?" Luke tensed and spun around, instinctively throwing up his sword to shield himself. He felt a hard blow come down at once and looked up into the blue eyes of his friend. They were cold and empty, filled only with fainted anger and hatred. There was nothing else. "Guy?"

Guy jumped back, landing several feet away. Everyone, including Luke, stood stunned. Suddenly, Guy ran towards Luke again, his blade held close. He swung, his attack again blocked by Luke. The redhead rolled to the side to avoid a sweeping blow from the man.

"It's no good… It's the Curse Slot! Sync must be nearby!" he vaguely heard Ion shout.

Luke began to feel the start of another headache as he fought, but it wasn't as unbearable as before and he was still able to avoid Guy's attacks. It was getting worse, though, and he could barely concentrate on his friend's movements. He was thrown to the ground by a particularly fierce blow, increasing his headache.

Guy was coming at him again. Luke threw up his sword once more on instinct. He heard the sharp sound of metal against metal, blade against blade. But it wasn't his.

Luke looked up at the man who now stood between him and Guy. He and the blonde were locked tightly in place, neither one budging. Luke heard Colette gasp and a near inhuman growl come from Genis.

The man pushed hard against his sword, shoving Guy back. Their swords unlocked and Guy swung at the man, who ducked and landed a hard punch to his stomach. Guy reeled back, dropping his blade and clutching his abdomen. The man ran forward and threw a kick to the blonde's head. Guy stumbled, grasping for his sword. Before he could find it, he was knocked to the ground by another solid kick to the side. The man turned to Luke, giving him his first clear view of his rescuer.

The man was about average height with dark shaggy red hair that seemed very unkempt and partially covered his left eye. His eyes were a deep red and his face firm. Luke noticed that he was right handed as he sheathed his sword on his left side. He was wearing a strange violet outfit, skin-tight in places that looked too uncomfortable to him. But what caught Luke's attention were the large blue wings on his back. They seemed like incorporeal flower petals, and Luke couldn't stop staring even after they folded and vanished.

The man walked over to Luke and offered a hand. "Can you stand?" he asked, his deep voice virtually indifferent.

Luke nodded numbly and took the hand, rising to stand beside the man. "Who… are you?" He realized somewhere in the back of his mind that he wasn't much shorter than the man.

The elder seemed to ignore Luke, instead choosing to walk over to the fallen Guy and pick him up, throwing him over his shoulder with next to no effort. "He's just unconscious. He'll be fine," he explained without being asked.

"Oh, don't forget about me!" called Largo. He laughed. "That was quite a fight there, I must say. It's a pity you're on their side. I'll just have to get rid of you before you become a nuisance." The God-General lifted his scythe from his shoulder and took a fighting stance.

Natalia aimed her bow at Largo. "I won't let you!" she shouted.

Largo laughed a bellowing laugh that seemed to shake the whole forest. "Just try it, princess!"

Suddenly, a large tremor struck. Largo pulled back his weapon and used it for support. Anise and Colette screamed. "An earthquake!" one of them cried.

"That must be Southern Rugnica falling," assumed Tear.

The earthquake subsided. Everyone seemed all right, and nothing was too affected by it. There was a rustle in a tree near Largo, and Colette threw her rings (called chakrams, they later learned) at it. A black form jumped from the tree, narrowly avoiding the attacked and Natalia shot an arrow at it. It leapt through the air and landed beside Largo.

"Damn… that earthquake gave me away…" cursed Sync. He stood beside his companion, glaring at Ion and his guardian.

Luke swore under his breath. "So you're after Ion!"

Anise took a protective stance in front of the Fon Master. "Grand Maestro Mohs' orders? Or was it the Commandant's?"

Largo shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Either way, we still need Fon Master Ion."

"We though he died in the destruction of Akzeriuth, but… he's strong," commented Sync. Luke couldn't tell whether that was a compliment or an insult due to the boy's condescending tone.

Natalia placed another arrow on her sting. "You have some nerve! Destroying an entire town?" she yelled. "How could you do something so despicable?"

Sync shook his head. "You're wrong. The one who destroyed Akzeriuth was that replica over there." The green haired boy nodded his head in Luke's direction. He saw the new man glance quizzically at him out of the corner of his eye.

Luke felt weak under the accusation. _He's right… it was my fault…_

"What's going on?" the shout came from within the forest.

Sync took a step back, his stance quickly changing to a defensive one. "Largo, retreat at once." The boy leaped up and, using a tree to springboard off of, disappeared beyond the rock face.

"It can't be helped…" Largo grumbled. He ran off in a separate direction, quickly disappearing into the trees.

On the other side of the clearing, three Malkuth soldiers stepped out into the open space. They threw up their spears in defense when they saw the large group before them. "What are you doing here?" the one in the center demanded.

"We were waiting for Colonel Curtiss, but we heard screams and chased a suspicious figure here," answered Tear.

"You mean the one that just ran away?" The soldier that appeared to be in charge called into the forest. Two more soldiers stepped out from the trees.

Tear nodded. "They were members of the Oracle Knights. We fought them and one of our companions were injured."

Luke began to feel uneasy as the soldiers closed in around them. He noticed with slight annoyance that it didn't seem to concern the red haired man even the slightest.

"Oracle Knights?" The soldier's voice was suspicious and disbelieving. "You have Oracle Knights in your party as well… I can't risk it. Arrest them! We're taking you into custody and bringing you to Grand Chokmah."

At once the surrounding soldiers closed in and some of the group by the arms and began leading them toward the exit. No one moved to take the strange man and Luke couldn't help but noticed that the guards seemed almost afraid of him.

"It's better not to resist, huh?" Luke eyed the man warily. He didn't like the near blank stare he had as the group walked on.

Tear began following the soldiers. "Of course."

Luke sighed and started walking toward the exit, painfully aware of the soldier watching his every move behind him. The man walked by him on his left, never saying a word, carrying his fallen friend.


	4. Chapter 3: New Additions

**The Meaning of Birth –**** 武田地夜**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia_ or _Tales of the Abyss_ or the characters and story lines pertaining to it. They belong to their respective owners and Namco Bandai.

* * *

_**Chapter 3: **__**New Additions**_

* * *

Luke grunted in protest as a Malkuth soldier shoved him roughly before a white haired man. They were in Grand Chokmah now, the "Floating Capital of the Malkuth Empire", and at the moment they were nothing more than prisoners. The white haired man approached the group, nodding to the soldiers. They released Luke and his friends immediately.

One of the soldiers saluted to the new man. "General Frings! We found these intruders inside the Theor Forest."

"Good work, Geoffrey," praised the general. "I trust that leaving them with me won't be a problem?"

"Of course not, sir. My officers and I will take our leave now." Geoffrey saluted once more and walked off in the direction they had come from.

"Luke, is it?" asked the man. "Son of Duke…?"

"How do you know me?" growled Luke.

"Forgive me. I am General Aslan Frings." The general gave a small polite bow. "Colonel Curtiss asked me to greet you outside the Theor Forest, but it seems you entered and were captured before I could do so."

Tear blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. Malkuth soldiers were being killed, so we thought there was danger and—"

General Frings shook his head. "No, I should be thanking you. But this just turned into a disturbance, so until you have your audience with His Imperial Majesty, we must treat you as our prisoners."

"That's fine and all, but Guy comes first!" Luke insisted, gesturing toward his friend's unconscious form and the man carrying him. "He…"

"He's afflicted with a Curse Slot," Ion explained. "He's resisting as much as possible. If you could please give us a place to rest, I will release him from it."

Colette glanced at the small boy. "You can do that?"

"More specifically, I'm the only one who can." Ion placed a hand on Guy's unconscious body which was still draped over the newcomer's shoulder. "Because this was originally a Daathic Fonic Arte."

Frings nodded. "Understood. I will leave you with a group of soldiers at the inn, then."

"I'll go, too! I'm Ion's guard," Anise announced as she began walking with Ion and the red haired man, still carrying Guy, toward the main city.

"Wait!" Luke called, moving to follow the three. "I'll come too!"

"…Luke." Luke slowed as Ion spoke. The Fon Master stopped and fell behind the others, keeping his back to Luke. "There is something you should know. A Curse Slot cannot just control a person, making them do anything the controller wants. It cannot force a person to do something they don't want to do."

"What do you mean?"

"The Curse Slot is a fonic arte that awakens a person's memories and numbs their inhibitions. In short…" Ion turned to face Luke, his green eyes filled with the promise of a terrible truth. "If Guy didn't already have a strong will to kill you, he never would have been able to attack you. That is what it means."

"No…" Luke couldn't believe it. He _wouldn't_ believe it. His best friend hated him so much he wanted him dead? It couldn't be…

"Until I release the Curse Slot, you need to stay away from Guy." Ion ran to catch up to his guardian.

There was a stunned silence. It was a shock to everyone. A few exchanged nervous glances with each other, expressions saying everything without needing to say a word. Frings coughed to get everyone's attention.

"If you'd like, how about looking around the city? You can't leave, but it would help you all to relax…" The general trailed off, not quite knowing how to better the situation.

Tear nodded, taking initiative. "Please, allow us."

Frings visibly relaxed. "Understood. Then we will arrange a meeting with His Imperial Majesty for you."

There was a long moment in which no one spoke. Colette apologized quietly, although even she knew not to whom she spoke. The travelers shifted uncomfortably. Luke hung his head, face contorted with a cross between anger and grief.

"Please leave me alone," he ground out, and then he took off at a near run into the city with no real destination in mind.

-(-)-

"…Don't follow me." Luke watched his tears mix with the water beneath him. He was leaning over the side of one of the many bridges in Grand Chokmah that created a path over the expanse of ocean under the city. His head was resting on his folded arms which lay on the bridge wall. He stared down at his reflection and saw Tear come up behind him, followed by a flying Mieu.

"I promised I'd watch you," Tear said quietly.

Mieu landed on the sergeant's shoulder. "I follow my master."

"Leave me alone!" Luke shouted, whipping around to face the two. They flinched at the sudden action. His throat constricted, the lump in it thickening. He felt like crying all over again, and he didn't know if he had the strength left to endure pity from the girl.

Tear steeled herself and straightened. She couldn't help feeling sorry for Luke, but at the same time, she had a job to do. "If I leave you alone, you'll just start thinking too hard about the situation."

"What about the situation?" Luke yelled.

"About how Guy hates you." Tear was blunt – painfully so.

"But he does hate me. That's why—"

"Are you stupid?"

Luke blinked at the girl. "What did you say?"

"Do you think you're someone who doesn't deserve a little ill will towards yourself?" she asked rhetorically. "Guy is human. I think that up until now you've always thought of him as a servant. But he waited for you at Aramis Springs."

"That may be so, but—"

"There was a time when he hated you enough to want to kill you," Tear said, effectively cutting off the teen. "But even so, he must have believed you would improve. He wouldn't have remained with you otherwise, right?"

Luke was silent for a moment, staring hard at the melodist.

"…You always speak in such an intense way."

"What?"

Luke shrugged. "I know you're trying to comfort me, but your words might be too harmful, don't you think?"

Tear cringed. "I'm sorry. I… hurt you…"

"But since I'm worthless," Luke continued, "even saying that much might be better."

Tear placed a hand on his shoulder, not knowing how to make up for the wound she had worsened. "Luke…"

"Thanks," he said with a small smile. "I know what you meant. He gave me a chance, so… I should trust him, too."

"That's the spirit, Master!" exclaimed Mieu as he flew up and landed in Luke's arms.

The redhead laughed and Tear soon joined him. He turned around and climbed onto the bridge wall and faced the open water.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you earlier," Luke began as he sat down on the wall.

Tear leaned over the edge, waiting for him to continue.

"Last night, I had this… weird dream. I didn't know where I was, but I was in a forest or something. I was running. Hard. I… I couldn't breathe. I just kept thinking, 'Please, don't let it be too late!' There was smoke a little bit ahead, and that was the direction I was running in." Luke looked up into the clear sky, his eyes growing distant as though he was trying to recall a forgotten memory. "It got hazy there. The next thing I know, I'm in the middle of this burning village. Smoke and fire was everywhere, there were people screaming all around me. I pushed my way into a house and ran to the man on the floor. He…" The redhead gave a visible shudder. "He looked just like Guy. A bit older, maybe ten or so years, but he looked a lot like him. I don't really remember much more, but I know that there was a little green haired girl right next to me holding onto a little blonde baby. I said something to the man, and he said something back, and then he died. Right there in my arms. I heard the girl start crying with me, and then I woke up."

Luke glanced nervously at Tear as she thought for a long moment.

"I don't know, Luke," she said finally. "It was probably just a dream. In any case, we should locate the others and see if Emperor Peony can see us yet." The soldier turned and began walking toward the city.

Mieu cuddled close to Luke's body, snuggling in the warmth. "Yeah… just a dream."

-(-)-

After gathering Natalia, Genis, and Colette, the group went to meet with General Frings in front of Grand Chokmah's palace, home of Emperor Peony the Ninth, ruler of Malkuth.

The palace was huge, not unlike Kimlasca's own castle in which King Ingobert VI resided. The entrance hall was enormous, but it was dwarfed by the throne room. It was there that they met the emperor of Kimlasca's enemy.

Luke fidgeted as Jade finished telling the story of all that had happened so far. Peony sat silently the whole time until the explanation ended. Luke concluded with an explanation of the group. Luke thought it was an odd way to end a story, but he really didn't care that much. Peony smiled when he heard the group members' names.

"So you're the ones who've been dragging my Jade all around without returning him, huh?" the blonde man asked.

Luke was taken aback. "What?"

"I heard he got caught in a fon slot seal," Peony continued, still grinning. "He must've quite a burden."

"N-no, Your Majesty…" Luke tried, stumbling over his words while trying to be polite. "That wasn't—"

"Colette? Genis?"

The call came from the door to the foyer. A young woman who looked no older than 20 with dark hair stood gaping in the doorway. As soon as Colette saw her, the blonde took off running. They met in an awkward hug in the middle of the throne room, both laughing uncontrollably. Genis ran up to them too, welcoming the new woman.

There was also a young man, maybe 22, that came in, slowly making his way to the three. "Damn, Sheena. You need to be so loud?" he complained.

Luke stared at them. Their clothes were so unlike Kimlascan or Malkuth garb, closer resembling Colette's and Genis'. The girl wore a light purple sleeveless tunic with a large pale pink ribbon around her waist that tied to a bow in the back. Her nearly black hair was held up by a smaller ribbon of the same shade, also done in a bow. Her eyes were rich chocolate brown. She wore black leggings, as well as elbow length fingerless gloves and boots that matched her tunic. She reminded Luke of some kind of dancer. Or assassin.

The man on the other hand resembled her dance partner. He had long red semi-curly hair that fell to the middle of his back and bright blue-green eyes. He wore loose white pants that tucked into white and yellow shoes, and a black tank top under a long vest that hung down to his knees. What threw Luke's head for a spin, however, were the colors of his vest. Pink! Pink and gold! The main part was a pale red/pink with gold trim. He had long gloves that extended from the middle of his biceps to the tips of his fingers. The main glove was black, including the fingers, but the top was covered in the same pink as his vest. He also had a white headband that held his hair back and a dagger at his side. There was a small round crystal embedded just below his collarbone. A Chosen.

Luke was shaken out of his musings by a loud, enthusiastic clap from the throne. Emperor Peony was standing and walking toward Luke and his friends.

"Ah! Sheena! Zelos, these are the friends you told me about, then?" he asked the dancing pair.

The red haired man – Zelos – grinned. "Yeah, I've been looking all over for you, my little Angel," he cooed to Colette. The girl shifted nervously away.

The woman gave him a hard slap upside his head. "Yes, Your Majesty. Two of them, anyway."

"Pardon me. I hate to interrupt your touching reunion, but there are more important matters to attend to," voiced Jade. He cast a pointed glance in the emperor's direction.

Peony chuckled. "Yes, yes. I've heard just about everything from Jade."

Luke spoke first. "Then you know that unless we do something, there's a risk that St. Binah will collapse into the Qliphoth."

"This may be so," Peony conceded. "But it seems you're too late. The St. Binah area has already begun to sink, it appears."

"Sink?" Genis asked quietly.

"Then you have to have the townspeople take shelter! You must evacuate them!" Natalia urged, ignoring the small boy.

The emperor shook his head. "I want very much to do just that, but there are a lot of reluctant voices in parliament."

"But, Your Majesty… Even though your country's people are in danger…"

Jade cut the princess off. "It's pressure from the Kimlascan Army."

A tall, older man standing to the right of the throne agreed with Jade. "There was a proclamation from the kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear," said Nordheim.

"Princess Natalia and Sir Luke, third in line to the throne, are both said to be dead," Sesseman, a small man on Peony's left, added. "They've expressed regret and strong objection against Malkuth for the destruction of Akzeriuth."

"We heard all about it from His Imperial Majesty," said Sheena. "This Daath place also sanctioned you, right?"

"In reality, it's a declaration of war…" Natalia realized. "My father must be misunderstanding the situation!"

"And he has acted upon this misunderstanding then, hasn't he, Princess Natalia?" Nordheim asked rhetorically. "We think Kimlasca is just using the destruction of Akzeriuth as an excuse for war."

"My country would never do such an underhanded thing," Natalia denied.

"That's right!" Luke agreed. "And Akzeriuth was… my fault…"

Jade placed a hand on Luke's shoulder comfortingly. "Everyone is aware of the circumstances." And then, to Natalia, "Please calm down, Natalia." The colonel waited until she had. "It is not important right now whether or not Kimlasca destroyed Akzeriuth to start a war."

Peony nodded. "Yes. The problem is that parliament has gotten the idea that St. Binah's sinking is the work of Kimlasca. There is fear that if we were to send a rescue team to the city, Kimlasca will either sink it and kill our soldiers or attack while our attention is divided."

"If the Malkuth army can't help them," Luke began, an idea forming in his mind, "then please send me."

"I also request to go," offered Natalia.

"That's surprising. Why would a group from our rival country's royal family wish to go so badly?" the emperor asked.

"We are not your enemy, Your Majesty. At the very least, ordinary people come and go as usual," Natalia explained. "Besides, it is because of our birth that we are inclined to help these people. That is after all the duty of the royal family, is it not?"

Peony nodded. "I see… But what about you, Luke? Why are you so eager to help us?"

Luke struggled for the right words. "I… am a huge criminal in this country. Because of Akzeriuth… If there's something I can do to help these people, to make it right, then I have to do it. I want to save everyone."

"So you say…" Peony narrowed his eyes in thought, studying Luke. "What do you think, Sesseman? Your favorite student, Jade, had also said to trust these guys."

Sesseman coughed slightly at the comment. "Your Majesty, 'these guys' is a bit rude."

"I'd like to go as well, Your Highness," came the voice of the dark haired girl, Sheena. "It might help us find our friends. And we do owe you for helping us."

Peony smiled at the idea. "Then you'll be taking Zelos with you, also?

Sheena nodded, ignoring the aforementioned man's protests. "Yes, I'll have him accompany me. Are you and Genis coming, too?" she asked Colette.

The blonde smiled. "Yes! We'll help as much as we can!"

"I will rescue St. Binah with my unit, Luke, and the others," said Jade. Luke could almost hear the gears in the colonel's head turn as he tried to think of the most efficient plan. "I think it will be a good idea to have General Nordheim hold off the Kimlascan troops heading north."

"Always with such pertly speech," marveled Sesseman. "Very well. Let's try to move parliament in that direction."

Peony smiled. "I owe you one, old man." He walked up to the chestnut haired man. "I have to go and call a meeting of parliament. You can leave that to me, Jade."

Jade smiled, his eyes shining with mischief. "My, my. Such a big job. Even having just one town evacuate and take refuge. Are you sure you're up to it?"

The emperor laughed and hugged Jade tightly. "Of course I'm sure! I'm the emperor, after all!" The blonde man released the colonel and took a long look at him while keeping him at arm's length. "It's so good to have you back. I knew you couldn't be dead. You have the tenacity of a cockroach."

Luke chuckled under his breath. _Isn't that how Jade described Dist?_

"Anyway, you must be tired. Go and rest at the hotel; you'll need it before you leave," suggested Emperor Peony.

Everyone, including Colette, Genis, and the two new additions, thanked the emperor for his hospitality before leaving for the hotel. Luke was hoping with all his heart that the Curse Slot was removed and that, if it was, he'd have the courage to face his friend for whatever he had done.

-(-)-

Luke opened the door to the room that Guy and the others were in. He smiled when he saw that Guy was already awake and recovered, but his heart dropped immediately when he remembered the Curse Slot.

"Guy… I'm so sorry," he said, sinking to his knees beside his friend's bed.

Guy blinked in surprise. "Luke? What are you doing?"

"I… did something to make you hate me." Luke clenched his fists tightly, trying to hold back the urge to cry again. "That's why you—"

Luke's head shot up as he heard Guy laugh. "What are you going on about?" the blonde swordsman asked, still laughing. He sighed as his laughs died away and looked at his friend with sorrow filled eyes. "It isn't your fault, Luke."

Luke rose to stand before Guy. "What?"

"Me hating you so much? It's not your fault." Guy took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm… originally from Malkuth."

"Are you seriously?" asked Anise.

Guy nodded. "I was born on Hod. And on my fifth birthday, my family and relatives had all gathered at my mansion. As the Scorer was about to recite the Score, war broke out."

"The Hod War," Tear realized.

Luke sat on the edge of a bed just opposite Guy as he listened carefully.

"Right," Guy confirmed. "My entire family… my servants, my relatives… they were all killed by the duke."

"Duke?" asked Genis. "What duke?"

"Duke Fabre," Guy answered, light hatred gleaming in his eyes. "He laughed as he trampled everything that was precious to me… I had planned to think of you the same as the duke."

"So you had entered the duke's household in order to get revenge?" Jade guessed. "Count Gailardia Galan of house Gardios."

Guy smiled a smile that reflected only irony. "Oh… so that means you knew?"

Jade shrugged. "I was a little curious, so I did some investigating. Your shieldless sword technique is unique to Hod's Albert style."

Luke heard a faint gasp behind him. He spun around to see who had made the sound. He was surprised to see the red haired man standing behind him, eyes widened with an untold realization.

"Duke… Fabre?" he repeated slowly. Luke watched his left hand fall to the sword that was sheathed at his side. The man's hand tightened around the handle as he said the name again. "Duke Fabre? You're sure of this name?"

Guy nodded, his gaze hardening as he watched the man. "Of course I'm sure. I wouldn't forget the name of the man that murdered my family."

The man's eyes flickered for a moment, but they never left Guy's face. "Then you're… Gailardia Galan."

Guy nodded again. "Yeah, Jade just said that."

Luke heard Sheena gasp also. "It's you!" she cried.

The red haired man glanced briefly at Sheena before muttering an apology and briskly walking out of the room without another word.

There was a short silence before someone spoke.

"What's that guy doing here?" asked Zelos. "I thought we left him back in Sylvarant."

"I was just thinking the same thing," said Sheena.

"You know him, then?" asked Tear. "We had just met him in the forest. He helped us and carried Guy here."

"Yeah, it was the weirdest thing," said Anise. "I mean, the guy just came out of nowhere with these weird blue floaty thingies and helped Luke."

"Blue… floaty thingies?" Sheena looked confused.

"I think she means his wings," offered Colette. "Although I still can't figure out why he helped us."

"Can you tell us who he is?" Natalia asked.

"He's a cold-hearted bastard," said Genis, venom lacing his tone. "A traitor."

Luke blinked. He couldn't believe a boy that young just said a word like that without a second thought. "Is he really that bad?" The teen found it hard to believe that the man who had helped him could also have betrayed these four people.

Colette bowed her head. "No, he's worse. He's part of Cruxis, but he was helping us at first, too."

"He told us that he was a mercenary. Colette's grandmother hired him to protect us while Colette went on the Journey of Regeneration," explained Genis. His face reflected the harsh anger in his voice. "But we didn't know that it meant Colette would die. He did; after all, that's what Cruxis wanted."

"They were trying to use Colette's body as a vessel for Martel," said Sheena.

"Martel… isn't that one of the people from the story you told us?" asked Guy. "The one about the heroes and the war?"

"Yep. It's the same one." Zelos leaned up against the wall next to Sheena. "Apparently, Martel was killed during the Kharlan War. Mithos went insane and has been trying to bring her back through one of the Chosen."

"And if Mithos and Yggdrasill are the same, then he would have the power to do so," assumed Ion. "Then this man was working for Cruxis?"

"Not for Cruxis. He's a part of it," said Colette. "He's actually an Angel. That's why he had those blue wings. His name is Kratos. Kratos Aurion.

"Interesting…" Jade muttered.

"What is?" asked Luke.

"His name," answered Jade. "You said you were from Sylvarant, right?"

Colette nodded.

"But his name has a meaning in Ancient Ispanian, an ancient dialect of our own language."

Ion smiled. "Oh, I see. You're right, Jade. That is strange."

"What is?" Luke asked again.

"In Ancient Ispanian, the word 'kratos' denotes strength or power," explained Ion. "His last name, Aurion, means 'Sacred Light that Touches the Earth.' So he's called 'The Strength of the Sacred Light that Touches the Earth.' Kratos Aurion."

"But he has the same name as the man from the story, too!" exclaimed Anise. "Kratos… are they the same?"

Sheena shrugged. "We think so. So far, it looks like the hero Mithos is the leader of Cruxis, Yggdrasill; his sister, Martel, is the goddess we worship; and Kratos is 'one of the Seraphim that guides our world.' Or so he says."

Luke gasped. "But that war was over 4,000 years ago in your world! How could he still look so young?"

"It's because of the Cruxis Crystal," said Zelos. He tapped the red gem on his neck. "When it's at its fullest power, it can turn you into an Angel and completely stop your internal clock. That's what happened with those guys."

Guy let out a low whistle. "You world is really crazy. Cruxis… Seraphim… I'm sorry you have to go through all that."

"I am too," said Luke. "I'd like to help if I could, but…"

"Don't worry about it," Sheena insisted, smiling at the redhead. "You've got your own things to worry about."

Luke sighed. "Yeah… But still. I mean, you're helping us and all."

"No, we're looking for our friends. There's a difference. Right, Jubblies?" Zelos peered over at Sheena with a big grin on his face.

There was a loud _smack_ as Sheena hit him. "I'll smack you!" she threatened.

"Ow!" Zelos grimaced as he rubbed the newly sore spot. "You always warn me after you do it!"

Luke laughed along with the others. He realized with joy that Guy was laughing as well. Ordinarily, that would be a good thing, but…

"Guy?"

Guy stopped laughing, turning to Luke. "Yeah?"

Luke fidgeted, suddenly finding the carpet very interesting. "You… hate me, right? Since I am the son of Duke Fabre."

"Hate you?" Guy marveled. "No. I don't hate you. But I understand if you don't want me around anymore. I wouldn't… But if it's all right, I'd like to keep traveling with you. There's something I want to confirm."

"If it's all right? Of course it's all right," Luke said smiling. "I don't want you to leave yet, Guy. Malkuth citizen or not, you're still my friend, right?"

Guy grinned. "Right." He leaned back, collapsing on the soft bed. "But for now, _friend_, let's get some sleep. I'll bet we're going to have a long day tomorrow."

"Yes, we will. Genis can stay in this room with you and Guy," Jade said to Luke, turning to leave. "Natalia, Tear, and Anise will stay in another, then Sheena and Colette. I'll go find Kratos and he'll sleep with Zelos and me. Is that all right with everyone?"

Zelos paled. "Wait… You're saying I have to share a room with Kratos? _And_ Jade? Nope! No way! Not gonna happen! You can't make me!"

Jade grinned, although to the rest of the group the smile had a rather malicious gleam to it. "Oh, I'm sure _something_ can be arranged to suit your tastes, _Chosen. _But like it or not, you'll be rooming with me tonight. And if you try to argue, you're sure to pay for it. Now move." He gestured toward the door.

Zelos shuddered under the cold gaze. "All right, all right! I'm going!" He scrambled quickly out the door.

Jade then followed with a strangely sweet "Goodnight, everyone."

Sheena and Colette also left the room, wishing a goodnight to the others, followed by Tear, Anise, and Natalia. Luke, Guy and Genis wished them all a goodnight in turn and suddenly, the room was empty.

Luke breathed out a sigh of relief. "Wow. I thought for sure Jade was about to kill Zelos."

Guy chuckled. "Yeah, me too."

"Is he always like that?" asked Genis as he climbed into the last available bed beside Guy.

"No," said Luke. "He's worse."

The three laughed heartily, relaxing in the easy air between them. It was some time before they finally settled down for the night, easing into the gentle embrace of sleep. Although for Luke, sleep was anything but gentle.


	5. Chapter 4: Dreams of Memories

**The Meaning of Birth – ****武田地夜**

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Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia_ or _Tales of the Abyss_ or the characters and story lines pertaining to it.

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_**Chapter 4: Dreams of Memories**_

* * *

_Running. Always running. That seemed to be the norm for me now._

_The rain fell hard, soaking through my clothes, chilling me. The child in my arms cried fiercely, sobbing for his father who was now dead. His sister ran beside me, her small hand swallowed by my own. She was trying hard to fight her tears, but she couldn't hold them back forever._

_I didn't blame them; I wanted to cry too. I wanted nothing more than to just wallow in my sorrow, to let myself fall into the depression of losing such a dear friend. But I couldn't. No, I made a promise to him. I would keep it. Maybe then, after the children were safe, I would cry._

_And then I would hunt. I would chase down and kill the men that took their mother and father's lives. I would avenge their deaths._

_I glanced back at the village, noting that the once raging flames had finally died down. That was good. At least no one else could get hurt._

_I slowed down, the child's cries suddenly louder. I knelt down and hugged him and his sister close to me, whispering soothing words in their ears._

Where are they?_ they asked silently. _Where's mommy? Where's daddy?

_I choked, unable to find the words to comfort them. What could I tell them? That they were dead, gone, never coming back? That their parents were murdered by a group a prejudiced fools who were blinded by ignorance, unwilling to accept that which was different from them?_

_I moved to stand but halted at the feeling of cold steel pressed against the back of my neck. I held perfectly still, barely daring to breathe._

"_Why are you here?" a voice asked. It was young, male. He was maybe only twelve or thirteen._

_I didn't answer, only held the children closer._

"_You know you're not supposed to be here," the boy continued. I felt the tip of the pointed blade dig into my skin, not hard enough to draw blood but enough for me to understand the wielder's urgency. "Why'd you call me out here? Didn't you see the attack? I can't be here."_

"_Of course I saw it," I murmured. "I need your help."_

_I glanced down at the children's terrified forms in my arms. There was a gasp as the blade left my skin. The boy stepped around me, his hooded face gazing steadily at the girl and her brother, his eyes wide in amazement. He swallowed thickly and nodded, motioning for me to rise. I did._

_The boy looked around, then turned to me and whispered, "Follow me." I nodded and we took off running again._

_It felt like we were running forever. Maybe we were. With the dark sky and the steady beating of the rain against the trees, minutes and hours ran together seamlessly. _

_The boy directed me to a hidden clearing and I sat down beneath a rocky overhang, a slight shelter from this dreary weather. The child in my arms was still crying loudly, holding onto me for dear life. I looked to his sister. She wasn't much better off, but I could see she was trying to be strong. She knew that she was the only family her brother had left, and she wanted to set a good example for him. I smiled in spite of myself._

_The young boy crawled out of the rain beside me, shaking the droplets off of his dark, hooded cloak. He gazed at us, eyeing the child in my arms. I could see dear in his eyes, but there was also… hope?_

"_Are they…?"_

"_Yes." I hugged the child, trying to quiet him. "They're like you."_

_The boy pulled off his hood, revealing his startling blue hair. I had grown used to it after a while; strange and bizarre hair colors were normal among his kind._

"_I thought they had killed all of the others."_

_I shook my head, water spraying as I did. "No. Not all of them."_

"_Who are they?" the young boy asked, edging closer. He was looking at the girl now, marveling at her moss green hair._

"_They're… Catherine's," I answered, using their mother's name. It was dangerous to reveal who their father was. If anyone knew of their noble lineage…_

"_Catherine's?" The boy's brow furrowed in thought. "I remember her. She was nice to me. I didn't know she has children like this, though."_

"_She was a good liar." The child was finally calming down, snuggling into my arms as he fell asleep. I frowned, remembering the reason I has called the boy in the first place. "Yuan… Can they stay here?"_

"_What?" Yuan stared at me. "Stay here? No way! I can barely take care of myself out here, much less a little girl and some baby, too!"_

_I sighed, trying to ignore my growing frustration. "Please, Yuan. They have nowhere else to go. I can't take them back to the capital, they'll be killed. You know the prejudice is stronger there. This is their only chance."_

_Yuan crossed his arms. "What about their dad? Or Catherine?"_

"_They're dead."_

_Yuan was silent, instantly regretting his words. "They were in the village, weren't they?"_

_I nodded, watching his eyes as he struggled with his decision. They were a shocking shade of bright blue that matched his hair perfectly. It was easy to see why so many were unnerved by people like him, even if he wouldn't actually harm a fly. I sighed at last._

"_Yuan. If you cannot take them, they will die. That is a fact."_

_Yuan cringed. "They really have no one else?" I shook my head and Yuan sighed. "All right. I'll do it." He held his arms out and took the infant from my, grazing his hand over his soft blond hair. "What are their names?"_

"_Mithos and Martel."_

-(-)-

I shifted uncomfortably under the mass of sheets, my mouth twisting in a scowl at the scratchy fabric. I sat up slowly and opened my eyes, surprised at how raw they felt. Had I been crying? I touched a finger to my and cheek noticed distractedly that it was dry. Of course it was. I was an Angel, a Seraphim of Cruxis. I hadn't thought about _that_ in years, and though the memory was as raw and painful as it was all that time ago, I hadn't shed a tear in over four-thousand years.

Though, I also haven't needed to sleep in over four-thousand years. Yet I had just woken from a dream. I supposed it shouldn't surprise me. This world wasn't the same as Aselia. Not exactly… although that depended on who you asked, really. Some aspects were the same, and others less so. Seeing as how mana wasn't the source of this world's power, it made sense that the mana-dependent Cruxis Crystals could begin to lose some of their potency. I looked down at the small stone embedded in my left hand, its blue hue catching a bit of light as I moved. If the crystals began to lose their power, I worried what that would mean for me. My crystal wasn't like the others; if it were to stop functioning, my very life could be in danger. I shook my head, casting those dark thoughts from my mind. Focus. One thing at a time.

Where am I?

I glanced at my surroundings, taking in the small room. The walls were a pale green, yellow even where the morning sun hit. An outdated floral print presided below the crowning, its pattern mirrored on the bedspread and matching drapes. There was a steady _tick-tock_ of a small antique clock on the nightstand next to me. I fisted a hand in the thick cloth, frowning. I would never have chosen to stay at such an inn.

_Inn?_

Ah, yes. The Grand Chokmah Inn. We had checked in yesterday, to help the swordsman recover from his Curse. Guy was his name, the blond servant who had attacked _him_, Luke fon Fabre. My eyes narrowed unconsciously at the thought of the red haired teen. Luke fon Fabre, son of Duke Fabre and third in line for the throne of Kimlasca. I had heard that title read a thousand times in my lifetime. I was familiar enough with him, more than I wanted to be. He and his family were a part of my past that I wish had just remained buried. I would take care to avoid him if I could.

I rose from the bed, turning and neatly setting the sheets appropriately. When I finished, I turned to the nightstand, where my sword and jacket rested. I grabbed both, weighing the blade in my hand as I thought about the previous day.

I wasn't really sure why I had stepped into the fight. I had no intention of becoming involved in their squabble, yet I did. The young noble would have been able to hold his own, I knew that. I grimaced. I couldn't fool myself; I knew exactly why I had interfered. It was because of him, Gailardia Galan.

My jacket settled neatly over my shoulders as I fastened their snaps distractedly. _Gailardia_. My heart ached at the name. The young man reminded me of someone very dear, someone I hadn't thought about in decades, at least. I tucked my sword under my jacket, hooking the sheath into its slot in my belt, before turning and opening the door to the hallway. I needed to just forget about it, about him, and leave. The quicker I left, the quicker I could find Lloyd, and the quicker I could leave.

"Give that back to me, that isn't yours."

I frowned, moving a hand to partially cover my ear. Though the woman—Sheena, I reminded myself—spoke in a deadly quiet tone in the adjacent room, it sounded like she was practically screaming to me. My ears picked up the small growl the young woman uttered, magnifying it. It was one of the many downsides of being an Angel. The tiniest whisper could sound like a shout.

"This bell is so pretty," a second voice mocked. My mind supplied the name Anise, though I didn't recall meeting her the night before. There was a sweet jingling sound. "I think I'll keep it."

"That was Corrine's," Sheena growled again. I winced at the sound of wood—a chair, it sounded like—being knocked over as I imagined the assassin lunging at the younger girl.

"Kratos?"

I blinked at turned to the door across from me and the young man who had opened it. It was the swordsman from last night. Gailardia.

"Yes?" I kept my expression and tone neutral as I replied, a skill I had perfected after centuries of practice.

Gailardia stared quizzically at me as he tilted his head slightly. "You looked like you were somewhere else there. Are you okay?"

I hesitated before nodding stiffly at him. He didn't look like he believed me.

"Last night," he started, "you stormed out of the room pretty quickly after I told them my real name." He paused, studying my reaction. "Why?"

I glanced down the hall, not wanting to meet his gaze. "I was surprised. That's all."

Gailardia waited for me to say more, but I didn't. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, busying his hands with the tie on his sword. This conversation wasn't going to go anywhere, and I didn't want to waste much more of my time avoiding his gaze, so I turned down the hall and began making my way towards the front of the inn.

"Ah, wait. I want to say thank you. What happened in the forest…" I stopped as he trailed off, but I didn't turn to him. "I could've hurt someone. I could've hurt Luke." I cringed at the name. "You saved him and I owe you for that. Let me make it up to you."

I frowned. Him? Owing _me_? The idea was absurd, too absurd to even consider. "No. You don't have to do anything like that."

I heard Gailardia approach me and imagined him placing his hand on his hip, cocking his head to the side with his wry grin. The same way _he_ always did. "You don't have a choice. I pay back my debts."

_I pay back my debts…_

I grimaced, disappointed in how little it took lately to drudge up those old memories of mine. "You want to repay me?" I asked bitterly.

"Yeah."

"Don't let it happen again."

I left him standing alone in the hall.

-(-)-

Most of the others had gathered in the lobby, I noticed. Sylvarant's Chosen was sitting patiently at a small table with the two young women from Gailardia's group. The three were discussing possible tourism opportunities within the main city. Well, Colette and the young princess were; the soldier, Tear, was trying very hard and unsuccessfully to argue against it. Closer to the front desk stood the half-elf, Genis, along with Zelos and Colonel Curtiss. My eyes settled on them, listening idly to their conversation.

"So you haven't heard from Raine or the others?"

Zelos shook his head, irritation plain on his face. "No, I already told you. I've been here with Sheena since I woke up."

"Oh. I was hoping you had seen my sister." Genis' face fell, and I felt my heart move at the sight.

"Well, it seems like we keep running into you curiosities without meaning to," Jade pointed out. "I'm certain that if we continue as planned we will run into your friends sooner or later. Right, Kratos?"

I nodded, not bothered by how the man had called me out. I could see in the way his eyes scrunched up when he looked at me that he didn't trust me. That was fine. I was used to it.

"Lloyd and the others will be here," I tried. I hesitated to add _somewhere_, but my mind thought it anyways.

Genis glared and turned away from me. "I don't need to hear that from you, traitor."

"What about you?" Jade asked me. "Will you be tagging along as well?"

I blinked, slightly startled by the question. I hadn't even considered that as an option. I knew what I wanted to do; I had spent part of the previous night planning my next possible courses of action, but following this group was certainly not one I had considered.

"No, that's all right," I replied evenly. I wouldn't admit that I was unnerved by the man. "You shouldn't have too much trouble finding their companions. I have a few matters of my own that I would like to take care of anyways. Besides that, I think I've caused enough trouble for you all." I glanced at Genis who was still turned away from me.

"Mr. Kratos." I turned around to see that Colette had risen from her seat, her fists clenched firmly at her sides. "Do you really think that we'll find Lloyd and the others?"

I watched her carefully, wondering why she was asking me, of all people. She seemed very serious in her in inquiry.

"Yes. I believe that you will find them."

"Then you don't need to go away."

I blinked, taken slightly aback by her statement. What did she mean by that? The girl had locked her eyes with mine, daring me to look away. Did she actually want me to travel with them? No, I cautioned myself, she had no reason to want that.

"Chosen," I began, "you would be better off if I were to leave. I've caused many problems for you before, and I'm sure that other members of your group may not want me here, either. You shouldn't trust me… I'm not a good person."

Colette shook her head. "I don't think that you are a bad person."

"What?" Genis started. "Of course he's a bad person! He tricked us, even tried to kill us, plenty of times!"

"Kratos is really strong. I know if he wanted to hurt us, he could. But he didn't, which means he must not be a bad person." Colette caught my gaze for a second time, and my eyes moved quickly away. "I think… he had a reason."

A reason? Of course I did: Lloyd. Mithos promised his safety as long as I carried out my duties. Granted, I realized far too late that he had never intended to keep that promise. It was because of that I had decided to visit Lloyd that night in Flanoir. I had wanted to apologize to him, to try to make up for my mistake by assisting him in stopping Cruxis… even if it meant releasing Origin's seal. Of course I had a reason, but there was no way she could know that… was there? Perhaps the girl was far more perceptive than I had realized.

Gailardia entered beside the lobby beside me, patting my shoulder in a friendly gesture. I flinched. In my distraction I hadn't heard him approach. I was losing my edge, it seemed.

"Wow, it feels tense in here," he joked. "Everything all right?"

Jade smiled. "Of course." Gailardia nodded in return.

"We're just waiting for Luke and then we can go." I tried to take a step away from him, his closeness beginning to make me feel uneasy, but his hand on my shoulder tightened. "You're coming too, right? I'm serious about paying you back."

I frowned before glancing at Colette. She was smiling. I'd have to remember to ask her later what she had meant by "reason." _Perhaps it would be all right to travel with them after all._

"Yes," I agreed at last. "I shall accompany you, if it isn't too much trouble."

Genis fumed and Colette drew her hands together in excitement. There was some idle chatter among the girls, but Zelos and Jade both just watched me. I sent a glare back in Zelos direction. We may have been in a different world, but I remembered why he was here. I knew what his true goals were, and I wanted to make sure he knew it. He sniffed and turned away, flicking a lock of hair at me in response.

_Luke…!_

My eyes widened in sudden pain and I fell, gasping for air that my lungs couldn't seem to catch. I felt Gailardia's hands on me, his voice dim, asking if I was okay. I didn't respond. I couldn't.

_Answer me, dreck!_

That voice… I knew that voice.

Though my eyes were open, I couldn't see anything but a swirl of colors. My head was throbbing and I didn't register anything going on in the real world. All I could focus on was the pain.

_Damn it, answer me! …About time. You need to get out of Grand Chokmah right now. …What the hell does it matter? Just do what I say!_

I felt like I was listening to one side of a conversation; the other must have been lost amid the pain and colors. A high-pitched ringing started, its frequency increasing by the second. And with each decibel it rose, so too did the pain. I may have cried out once, but I didn't hear it.

As suddenly as it began, it stopped. The pain was beginning to fade and I started to breathe again. The sound of Gailardia's voice came back and I could feel his hands clenched against my shoulders and back. I took a moment to regain myself before trying to stand. Colette and Tear had gathered around me as well, both of them asking about my condition.

I ignored their questions. Though the pain was gone, I still felt extremely light-headed and dizzy. I swayed to the left and Gailardia caught me, wrapping his arm around my waist for support. I blinked, startled by the unwelcome contact, but too out of sorts to push him away.

"Guy! Jade!" We turned more or less in unison to see Luke fon Fabre running towards us from his room. He looked out of breath, though I doubted it was for the same reason as I. "We have to leave, now."

Gailardia blinked at him. "Leave? Why all of a sudden?"

"Asch said we need to get out of here," Luke explained. "He said something was going to happen."

_Asch…?_ I wondered, suddenly recognizing the owner of the voice.

I tried to stand on my own, pushing Gailardia and the girls away. It took a moment, but I was able to stand without swaying.

"We have to go to St. Binah anyway, right?" the Genis asked. He caught my eye by mistake and shot me a glare that Yuan himself would have been proud of.

"Yeah," Luke agreed. He glanced at me, but quickly looked away. I got the feeling that I made him uncomfortable, but I wasn't sure why. He and I had never actually met, and despite how I may have felt about him, he didn't know the first thing about me. "Is Kratos coming too?"

"I would like to accompany you, yes. If it isn't too much trouble." I was pleased to hear that my voice had managed to stop shaking.

Luke hesitated before saying, "Sure. The more help we can get, the better."

"What?" Genis gaped at Luke. "You're letting him come? Even after what we told you?"

Luke shrugged. "Maybe he's had a change of heart."

Gailardia nodded. "Why not." He glanced at me, numerous questions barely hidden in his eyes. Questions I didn't even want to entertain.

Genis sighed. "Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you though." He stomped away sourly.

Luke looked up at me, a serious look in his green eyes. "I heard about what you did to them. I'm fine with giving you a chance with us, but please… don't turn on us the same way. There are way too many lives at stake, and I won't let any more people die because of my choices."

I stared him, taking in his words. I smiled inwardly. The boy had grown more than I had expected. That was good. Maybe there's a chance that it would all work out after all. I nodded, and he walk off, satisfied by my response. I felt Gailardia's hand on my shoulder again.

"I don't think you'll betray us." His hand tightened slightly before dropping. "I bet you have a lot riding on this too, huh?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Call it… a hunch." The young man grinned at me briefly before following the others out of the lobby.

I sighed. _This… will be much harder than I thought._


	6. Chapter 5: To Save St Binah

**The Meaning of Birth – ****武田地夜**

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Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia_ or _Tales of the Abyss_ or the characters and story lines pertaining to it.

* * *

_**Chapter 5: To Save St. Binah**_

* * *

By the time Luke and the others arrived at St. Binah, the civilians were already panicking. That was bad. It would be that much harder to properly evacuate the people while they were in such a hysterical state, and Luke feared the worst.

Jade looked around quickly, and then said, "Tear. Take Guy, Colette, Zelos, Genis, and Kratos and start aiding the people. Help them move, tell them to leave what they don't need. We need to get them to Engeve quickly. Go." Tear nodded and ran off toward the citadel's heart with the others. Jade then looked at Luke. "I will take Anise, Sheena, and Natalia with me. We have to go tell the Former Field Marshall about His Majesty's orders. You follow Tear."

Luke swallowed. "Okay."

-(-)-

Luke and Genis stood in front of the city entrance, ushering people through the gates. He watched Guy and Colette a few yards away, doing the same. He smiled, seeing that the citadel was more than halfway emptied at this point. _They just might make it out safely._

Luke turned back to the plaza to find a small family at looking at produce casually in the fruit stands. He ran over to them, saying, "You have to get out of here. The city is sinking."

The mother glanced at Luke quizzically before turning back to the stand. Her young son just laughed happily, saying, "You're silly, Mister. The city can't sink!"

Colette ran up to his side. "Please, you must hurry. This entire town is in trouble." Her eyes had a panicked look in them, and Luke wondered how she managed to speak so calmly.

The woman thought about it, and as she took her son's hand to leave, Tear shouted, "Luke, look out!"

Suddenly, there was a flash of white as he was covered in a cloud of smoke and dust. Luke barely had time to think before a large blast of wind hit him from the side. Luke clenched his eyes shut against the blow, feeling the ground shake below him. He was thrown back, scraping the ground with his feet to keep from hitting the cobblestone path. His left hand reached behind him to grab his sword, flinging it out in front of him to defend from another attack. When he opened his eyes, he saw Tear's Field Barrier was erected around him and a large crater where the gate entrance used to be. Tear had released the shield and was running over to them, both Chosens and Guy right behind her.

"Mahahahaha-ha!"

Luke looked up into the sky, only somewhat surprised to see one of the God-Generals hovering above them.

"Dist? What are you doing here? Did my brother send you?" Tear questioned.

Dist smiled and shrugged. "Now, why would I tell you that?" Dist's smile widened and he locked his fingers together in front of himself, making a small tent shape with them. "Do you like my new toy? I couldn't wait to test it out, so I decided to drop by."

"You can't have Ion!" Luke yelled. The battle had barely started, but the blast from before had left him winded. He noticed Colette moving from the corner of his eye, trying to get people out of the way.

Dist laughed again. "Oh, we'll see about that. Go, my beautiful creation! Attack them!"

A large, mechanical beast came lumbering out from behind the newly damaged buildings. It was a perfectly crafted piece, painted beautifully without a single scratch on it. Mounted on its shoulders were two full-sized machine guns as well as a single cannon. Its footsteps left stunning depressions in the cobbled street. It raised its laser-equipped arm and set the charge, and the lone eye in the center of what Luke assumed was its head was centered directly on him.

Luke summoned what few artes he knew, erecting his Guardian Field – the closest thing to a shield that he had – just as the blast made contact with him. Luke strained against the force of the blow, actually moving back a few inches. Suddenly there was a scream. He looked to his side to see that the blast had been deflected right toward the little boy, and his mother – partially pinned under the collapsed portion of a nearby building – was screaming for him to move. All of a sudden, Luke saw a quick blue blur before the boy vanished from sight.

As the blast stopped, Luke lowered the field in time for Kratos to touch down beside him. He saw the boy holding on to the man's neck tightly, and Kratos wasn't about to let him go.

Dist glared. "And just who do you think you are, interfering with my toys?!"

Kratos straightened, standing to full height. His blue wings gleamed behind him, shining and radiant. He unsheathed his sword, causing the light to catch the crystal on his hand. "You may call me what you like…" He threw his sword out before him, ready to block against any new attack, and a circular glyph drew itself under his feet. With his eyes closed, he began to chant, his words taking on an almost lyrical quality. The glyph's color shifted from white to red with a new pattern drawing itself in the center, and the words changed as he began to speak. "_Sacred Powers, cast Thy purifying Light upon these corrupt souls. Rest in peace, Sinners. Judgment!"_

At once, the sky itself seemed to open up. Tall pillars of light shot to the earth, vaporizing anything they touched. By what seemed a miracle, they avoided all but a few unfortunate trees and one worn down house. Dist looked on in horror as his machine was caught in the attack, vanishing in an instant, leaving behind only a small part of the fuselage and its lens-like eye… if it could be called that.

"My… my baby!" Dist turned to look at Kratos, absolute fury in his eyes. "Damn you! Now I have to build it again! You shouldn't know how to use fonic hymns!"

Kratos sheathed his sword without a word. He looked to Genis and nodded.

An unfamiliar glyph appeared briefly underneath the half-elf before vanishing as he shouted, "_Gentle winds, gather before me and transform into blades of air. Cyclone!"_

A green whirlwind was formed right on top of Dist, sucking him in. It spun him around a few times, his shouts fading in and out as he rotated, before finally spitting him out of the city. Luke watched him fly off and disappear beyond the horizon with a twinkle. _Looks like he's… blasted off again?_

Kratos set the boy down and he immediately ran to his mother, who had been helped by Guy and a few others, both crying tears of relief. She smiled at Kratos. "Thank you for saving him. You're a good man."

Kratos frowned. "No. I am… anything but that."

The woman stood and hugged the Angel tightly. His face shifted from confusion, to anger, to confusion again, and then finally settled on something else – was it sadness? – as he gently hugged her back. Luke heard the sounds of footsteps behind him and turned to see the rest of their companions finally arrive and run up to them. Most of the civilians were starting to peek outside of their respective shelters, wondering if it was safe to come out.

"What happened?" asked Sheena as she approached Luke. She was staring dumbly at the large amount of damage the city had suffered in such a small length of time.

"Dist, one of the God-Generals." Tear was tending to the mother now, looking over the wounds on her legs.

Colette's eyes widened slightly. "Like those two from the forest?"

Anise huffed, crossing her arms in front of her. "He was probably just trying to take Ion from us again. But we're not going to let them have him! Right, Ion?"

Ion flushed. "Ah, r-right," he stuttered.

Luke stumbled suddenly as the ground let out a deafening roar, quickly followed by multiple shouts of surprise and terror from the civilians around him. His arms flew out to his sides to keep him from hitting the ground and he saw Colette fall, disappearing from his vision. He blinked furiously, struggling to keep the rising dirt out of his eyes and his vision clear. A strong hand gripped his shoulder suddenly, hauling him back to his feet. Luke opened his eyes warily.

A massive crack tore through the main road in the city, splitting it not quite in half. A large fraction of the city behind the tear was now at least 14 feet lower than it had been. Luke moved to peer over the crack, but the hand on his shoulder remained firm. He turned back to see Kratos behind him. The man shook his head slightly and indicated the ground. Luke looked down and jumped back when he saw his toes balanced on the edge of the newly formed rift.

"Wha… what happened?" he managed to ask.

"It must have hit the Dividing Line." Tear was helping Sheena up nearby, both girls covered in dirt and stone debris. "It's just like what happened with Hod."

Genis looked down at all the people below, taking care not to step too close. "What do you mean, with Hod? What's Hod?"

"Hod is my home," murmured Guy. "Sixteen years ago, it was attacked. That was the day that my family… was…" He trailed off, unable to say the word "murdered".

"The entire island of Hod sank, much like this area is starting to here. But when Hod sank, it was very slow," Tear explained. "The sinking was delayed by the Dividing Line, a protective barrier that separates the Outer Lands from the Qliphoth. But once Hod fell through the barrier, its descent speed increased greatly and it was lost in a matter of moments."

"The Qliphoth…?" Sheena asked, puzzled.

"Wait!" Genis suddenly grew panicked, his head whipping around and his eyes wide. "Where's Colette?"

Luke looked down at the rift, remembering what he saw when he first opened his eyes. "I think… she's down there…"

"What?" The small boy ran to the edge and knelt over it, searching frantically for his friend.

Sheena stepped next to him. "I'm sure she's okay, Genis. There are other people down there that seem to be all right."

"Yes," Kratos agreed. "The Chosen has survived worse things than this."

"You…" Genis growled. "You can't just…!" He stood suddenly and whipped around to face Kratos, eyes blazing and tears of frustration falling down his cheeks. "You just shut up! Colette never would have gone through any of that if it wasn't for you! You people forced her into this and made her suffer! You can't just talk about her that way when you're the one that made her like this!"

The group was silent. Kratos and Genis both stared each other down, the latter fighting for breath after his outburst, both daring the other to turn away first. Luke was unsure whether he should step in or not. After all, the city…

"Why's everybody so quiet?" came a cheerful voice.

Luke and the others turned to see Colette standing at the edge of the crack, completely unharmed. He smiled, feeling some of the tension leave, and then at a second glance he noticed brilliant transparent wings extended behind her. Unlike Kratos's, Colette's wings shone in an array of colors ranging from light pinks to rich violets. Her wings disappeared in a shower of sparkling particles and Genis ran up to her, hugging her tightly around the waist. The girl seemed surprised but willingly hugged him back.

"I was worried! I thought you had gotten hurt or something!" Genis tried to say. His words came out muffled in the fabric of her dress.

Colette smiled. "Genis, I'm okay. I've been through worse than that before."

The boy cast a murderous glare back at Kratos, still holding tight to his friend. "Yeah… I know."

"And what of the other citizens?" Kratos questioned after releasing a small sigh. "They are not as lucky as the Chosen. We must assist them, as well."

"Yeah, but how are we going to do that?" Tethe'alla's Chosen placed a hand on his hip rather indignantly, glancing at Sheena before turning to Kratos. "We don't have any electricity. The Rheairds are completely dead, and without something to fly with, those people down there will be, too."

"But, I thought Lloyd had the Rheairds," murmured Colette.

Sheena shook her head. "I have only the one with me; Lloyd has the other three. I used it to go and visit my village before we checked into the hotel in Flanoir. But Zelos is right; it's useless."

"Question!" Anise declared, raising her hand. "What are these ray-ard things? And how are they going to help us save St. Binah?"

"They're machines that we use to fly back home," answered Sheena. "We stole them from some renegade Desians. But without a reliable source of energy, they're not usable."

Natalia scoffed. "That's impossible! There is no such thing as a machine that flies! If there was, the military – and in turn, the royal family– would know about it."

"No… not impossible."

Luke turned to his friend who had just spoken. "Guy… what are you saying?"

Guy's eyes focused intensely on the empty air in front of him, his mind racing through a million possibilities all at once. "I remember some of the servants talking about it back at the manor. There's town called Sheridan back in Kimlasca, on the continent of Radessia, that specializes in fonic technology." He began to pace in a tight circle. "Recently during an expedition to the old ruins near Chesedonia, they found a 2,000 year-old piece of fontech that, after some tests, they discovered still worked."

"Guy, we're running out of time. What are you trying to tell us?" Luke urged.

The man stopped suddenly and turned to face the group. "It's a _hoverdrive_."

"A… what?" Tear asked after a moment.

"A hoverdrive!" exclaimed Guy, as though it answered everyone's questions. At the silent pause, he continued. "It's a piece of fontech that, when used alongside a certain machine – a machine that the researchers in Sheridan developed the moment it was discovered – has the ability to fly!"

Luke glanced expectantly at Jade, waiting for the colonel to say something, but the man, surprisingly, didn't.

"I suppose it will have to do. We're losing time." Kratos began moving towards the city entrance – or rather, what was left of it.

"Okay, then," said Luke as he shrugged. "Let's go to Sheridan."

-(-)-

There was a heavy tension that permeated the corridors. Not a calm soul seemed to exist in the place; the halls were full, as were the rooms attached to them, but an electrified silence persisted despite this. Even the Grand Chamber where the highest priests resided and met felt deadened.

A young man walked briskly through these passages, ignoring those in his way that cast him wary glances. His temper was legendary among those within the Order of Lorelei, and most had long since learned to avoid him in moments like this. The man, known by many to take his anger out on the very first person to so much as look at him wrong, was seething visibly. He had been aware of the moment the winged man's existence was revealed; after all, that was his job as the leader of the Order of Lorelei's black ops team and third in command after Dorian General Grants and Legretta. So naturally, he was also aware the moment his superiors were told of the man and decided to investigate his power for themselves. By attacking him in broad daylight.

He had just about had it with the level of idiocy around him.

It had been bad enough when General Grants had decided to storm in to Grand Chokmah to find this individual – he had only barely managed to change his leader's mind at the last moment, but not before getting the princess and her companions out of Malkuth's capital, just in case – but now he had gone and attacked St. Binah? Furious didn't even begin to describe the emotion that had built up within Asch after hearing about this latest attack by the God-Generals. In fact, he was on his way to General Grant's study to have a few choice words with the man now. If they had touched even one hair on Natalia's head…

"How could he have destroyed it in just one hit? It should have been impossible!"

Asch stopped about 3 feet from Van's doorway at the sound of the voice. He hadn't anticipated others being here, but honestly it didn't really matter to him. He decided to tuck himself just behind the entree way, close enough to listen to the conversation. From the sound of the voice, it was Dist, and he didn't seem too happy. _So the dreck managed to pull through… good. At least he's still useful._

"Yes… when Largo and Sync first told me about him, I didn't think he would be much of an issue," he heard the general say. "Even if he chose to side with Luke and Tear. But this could become a problem for us after all."

"You saw the records, right?" Dist demanded emphatically. "The last images my precious creation captured before it was obliterated…" The man's voice had a genuine hint of bitterness to it.

There was some rustling of papers, likely Van picking of the aforementioned images.

"Yes, I did," he answered thoughtfully. "I saw that the rumors of his wings were true also. An Angel…" The papers were shuffled lightly again. "Such things are only heard of in faerie tales; they should not exist, and yet here one is. And he is a Seventh Fonist as well."

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at the pictures," Dist ordered. Asch knew that Van would never let another order him around, but intrigued as the man was by the situation, he didn't call the God-General out on it. "He's strong, and he knows some interesting fonic arts, but it's not his power he's using."

There was a short silence as Van looked over the images carefully.

"It's the crystal…" Van mused.

Asch thought about that. He remembered the reports he received about the man, and of course he knew about the strange little gem worn on his hand. _So it isn't just for decoration,_ he thought. If they can prove that it acts as a source of the man's fonic arts – especially if his artes are as strong as he has heard – then he knew Van would stop at nothing to acquire one for himself. Asch wondered what lengths General Grants would go to for this new goal.

There was a sudden knock at the secondary entrance to the study, causing those inside (and outside) to fall silent. The knock came again. Asch heard Van give permission to enter and he took the chance to peer inside as the newcomer opened the door. A very young boy walked into the room, much to Asch's surprise. He wasn't older than 13, maybe younger, and had pale blond hair that lay close to shoulder length. The violet bracelets on his wrist jingled quietly as he walked up to the desk. He was smiling softly, but the smile didn't quite seem to reach his sky blue eyes. Van and Dist seemed just as shocked as Asch at his arrival.

Van stood up quickly, but calmly, and said, "This is no place for children to play. I'm sure your parents wouldn't want you wandering off." He smiled his deceitfully kind smile at the child, the one that said that everything would be all right if they just listened to him and did what he said. "Allow me to take you back to them; they're probably in the chapel—"

"But this is the perfect place to play my games," the boy said slowly, interrupting Van. He hopped up onto the desk, just beside the small lamp. "Maybe you would like to join me?"

Asch saw Dist turn to the boy this time, irritation plain on his face. "Look, kid. We're discussing 'grown-up' things here. Now go run back to your mommy."

The boy's eye twitched minutely, but Asch doubted that the Reaper had noticed. Van did, however. Whatever this boy was, they both could sense that he wasn't one to make angry.

The child chose to ignore Dist and said to Van, "Don't waste your time trying to capture the Angel, Kratos. At your current level, you'd only lose." He smiled again.

"You would insult my abilities as a general?" Van demanded.

"No, of course not," the boy placated. "I am only warning you not to underestimate him. He is far stronger than you realize."

_What is this kid…?_ Asch wondered, stunned.

The boy continued. "However, there is a way to beat him." He paused for dramatic effect. "Have you ever heard of the Eternal Sword?"

"I have not," General Grants said at length.

"Its power is unrivaled." The child began swinging his legs, taking care not to kick the oak desk. "There are stories claiming that it has the power to split the very world in two."

There was silence as Van considered this. Asch almost wanted to jump and yell, "Don't trust him!" But he didn't, despite the sinking feeling that continued to grow in the pit of his stomach.

"What is your name?" Van finally asked.

The smile never left the child's face, but this time it finally managed to reached his eyes.

"Mithos Yggdrasil."


	7. Chapter 6: The Highlands and the Albiore

**The Meaning of Birth – ****武田地夜**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia _or _Tales of the Abyss_ or the characters and story lines pertaining to it. They belong to their respective owners and Namco Bandai.

By the way, if you haven't noticed already, I updated chapter 4. It's definitely an update that you should take a look at as I'm sure it will effect how you read the story :)

* * *

_**Chapter 6: The H**__**ighlands and the Albiore**_

* * *

Guy continued pacing outside of Sheridan's city limits, his boots grinding into the dirt with each hard pivot. He and Jade had just finished talking with Iemon, the engineer behind the creation of the flying machine, "Albiore", a while ago and had been given full details on the requirements to use the new fontech. They'd been briefed on the pilot's situation as well: how he was trapped in the machine in the rough highland winds and in danger of being crushed if it fell. Iemon made it clear how much he cared for the boy and how helpless he felt not being able to go and rescue him due to his old age, so they made him a deal. They would go and rescue the pilot, Ginji, in exchange for use of the experimental flight machine.

Now if only they could actually get _going_…

"Luke, what is taking you so long?" he muttered.

"Where's Luke?" Tear asked. She and Jade both approached the swordsman, a questioning look on her face. "It's been a while. We don't have a lot of time. Every moment we waste, St. Binah gets closer to—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Guy said. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "He… ran off. Said he had to talk to someone."

"Was it Asch?" Jade clasped his hands behind his back loosely.

Guy shrugged. "I don't know… probably, yeah."

The colonel frowned for a moment before suddenly snapping his attention to the main city. Guy followed his gaze to see Luke jogging towards them. He was panting lightly as he joined them.

"Sorry about that," Luke laughed. "Asch called me suddenly, and I couldn't really say no…"

"What did he want?" Tear urged.

"He wanted…" Luke stopped. He saw Kratos watching him out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly felt very uneasy. He lowered his voice. "He wanted us to stay in Sheridan."

"What? Why?" Guy lowered his voice as well, but only because Luke did first. He wasn't aware of the Angel's gaze.

Luke answered, "He didn't really say. He just said that he was coming to meet us here."

Mieu flitted around Luke's head. "Master seemed really nervous. He kept yelling and yelling!"

Luke groaned. "Shut up, Mieu…"

"Do you have any idea what he might want?" Tear asked.

Luke shook his head. "He was being really vague about it. It made me feel like something was wrong." Luke sighed quietly in relief as Kratos finally turned away.

Jade pondered that for a moment. "Well, it doesn't do us any good now. We very well can't stay here, not if we want use of that fon machine."

"Jade's right," agreed Guy. "We can't worry about what Asch wants if he won't even tell us. We're going to have to get moving."

Luke nodded. The four gathered with the rest of the group, and they began to move deeper into the Radessian wilderness.

-(-)-

"Luke?" Natalia averted her gaze as Luke turned to her. Her voice was low, almost timid. Luke wasn't expecting to hear that from the princess. "Is it true, what Tear said? That Asch will be coming here?"

"Asch?" Luke understood her hesitation then. He knew it was hard for her, being stuck with someone that looked exactly like the man she loved. Luke sighed. "Yeah… he might be here when we get back."

Luke felt a stab go through his chest when he saw her eyes light up. He turned away from her. It didn't bother him that she thought of him that way. Not, it wasn't that. What bothered him was that every time she saw him, it made her think of Asch. It made her hurt all over again. _I really do cause more harm than good, _he thought to himself.

Colette tilted her head slightly to the side. "Who is Asch? Is he a friend of yours, Mr. Luke?"

"Huh? Oh, no, not… not exactly…" Luke shrugged, fidgeting with Mieu's ears absently.

"An enemy?" Genis asked.

"Well, no…" muttered Luke. He frowned as he considered the question. What exactly was Asch to them? He definitely wasn't an enemy, but to call him a friend was being too generous. "He's a frienemy?"

Genis stared at him for a long time before erupting in a fit of laughter. Luke blinked. He thought it was a rather fitting description of the man.

"Oh man," Genis cried, wiping actual tears from his eyes as he clenched his stomach. "A frienemy!"

Tear glanced at Luke sympathetically, causing him to smile back appreciatively. Suddenly, he noticed the area around him grow progressively darker. Luke looked up at the rock formation that rose before him, marking the entrance to the Highlands.

_So tall… _Luke swallowed the lump in his throat. There was a quick movement up ahead, near where the path forked in to two routes. _Was that a monster…?_

Jade stepped forward and faced the group. "From here we will split into two separate groups: one going Northwest, and the other following the Northeast path. Luke and Guy," he turned to the young men, who instantly snapped to attention. "You two will lead the parties, since you each have one of the cable guns. You will need to time the shots perfectly in order to safely secure the flying machine. Guy, please take Anise, Natalia, Genis, and Zelos. Ion, that means you'll follow them, too."

Ion smiled brightly. "I will."

"Oh, I'll take good care of my hunnies here," Zelos grinned wickedly as he moved closer to the group. Luke noticed that he now stood particularly close to Natalia, which gave him an oddly unsettling feeling.

Jade rolled his eyes subtly and turned to Luke. "I will go with you, as well as Tear, Colette and Sheena. And Kratos."

Kratos nodded stiffly, never looking him in the eye. In fact, Luke noticed that he never looked anyone in the eye. As powerful as he was, he seemed to be oddly submissive. It set Luke on edge, and he subconsciously shifted away from the man.

Colette waved to Jade hesitantly before asking, "How exactly will we save Mr. Ginji? What if the wind is too strong for those guns?"

"We can just use the Rheairds," Genis suggested proudly. "Then we can fly up there and save him ourselves!"

Sheena shook her head and crossed her arms. "Impossible," she declared with a sour look on her face. "I can't summon any of the Spirits from Tethe'alla or Sylvarant. It almost feels like the pacts I made with them were broken the moment we woke up here. No spirits means no Volt which means no power. Besides, I only have one, remember? Lloyd has the others. And he's not exactly here with us, is he?"

Genis' good mood deflated instantly. "No, he… he left the hotel room in Flanoir and went outside, before all of this happened."

"And he never came back…" Colette finished sadly. A fevered look flashed on her face. "What if he's hurt? What if he's still back in Flanoir and he thinks we all abandoned him, or he got attacked by monsters all by himself…"

Zelos shrugged nonchalantly and gazed steadily at Kratos, looking decidedly unconcerned. "Well, the old man made it here just fine," he said with a biting tone that was so subtle it was almost missed. Kratos shot him a glare that could have made a liger drop dead, bringing a small smirk to the Chosen's face.

"He was probably spying on us, that's why!" Genis huffed, turning around.

Kratos frowned. "The windstorm is picking up," the man said at length. "We need to hurry."

Jade nodded and ordered the groups to move out. Luke approached Colette and gently tapped her on the shoulder, causing the girl to squeak as she whipped her head around to him. Luke smiled warmly at her.

"Don't worry, Colette. I'm sure Lloyd is fine." He tried his best to sound reassuring.

Colette smiled, barely trying to hold back the small tears in her eyes. She rubbed at them fiercely, trying to clear them. "Thank you, Luke."

Luke heard gravel shifting as Kratos passed them, his footsteps disturbing the small stones that riddled their path. He felt a shiver run through his body, but he tried to hide it. There was just something about the man… something that seemed so off to Luke.

The Angel glanced at them out of the corner of his eye as he stopped, watching the others enter the canyon. "He can't die yet… He promised me he wouldn't."

Luke and Colette watched the man resume his stiff pace. Luke felt sympathy for the man, but he wasn't sure why. He shook his head, frustrated, and took Colette's hand.

"Let's go save the pilot."

-(-)-

"Are you kidding me?" Sheena shouted. There was a great roar as the woman jumped out of the way, a large tail crashing down where she had once stood. She whipped out another paper seal, chanted a short phrase and threw it at the beast, hoping for the explosive blast to do some damage. It didn't.

Tear sang her protective artes as Luke and Kratos ran alongside each other, shouting with their swords drawn. The dragon-like beast couldn't focus on two targets and stumbled over itself, giving the swordsmen the opening the needed.

"Rending Thrust!"

"Grave Blade!"

The attacks hit home, though Kratos' did considerably more damaged. Luke watched the ground open up in an attempt to swallow the beast. It fought viciously as the Angel continued to battle it, pushing it closer to the mountain of spikes he had just created. The monster bit and snapped, reaching for the man with its toothy maw.

Luke didn't see the beast's tail coming at him from behind. He felt the pain first, and then the warm trickle of blood running down his head and arm. He looked down, startled to see the massive wound on his shoulder.

"Luke!" Tear shouted.

Luke felt the ground fall away beneath him, his head spinning. He was surprised to feel a pair of strong arms catch him rather than the rough ground he had been expecting. Luke looked up at the man through blurred vision. Was that… Kratos? Just how bad was his injury, anyway? Was he losing a lot of blood? Yeah… Yeah, that seemed right. He was losing so much blood that he was imagining Kratos holding him.

There was another roar in the distance. _Was that the monster? _Luke wondered. He felt warmth in his arm, flowing from the wound to the rest of his body. He squirmed, uncomfortable with the sensation. It didn't feel like Tear's healing artes, it was more… firm. Rather than the calm and welcoming sensation of her artes, this one felt harsh and forceful and hot. Luke didn't like it.

Then the burning moved to his head, causing the boy to cry out. He heard shouts all around him as a second pair of hands came down on his left side, holding his thrashing body down. Whatever was there, whatever was touching him, Luke wanted it gone. He could feel the magic coursing through him as he struggled and fought before finally stopping. Luke's breathing was labored, and his body was covered in a thin layer of sweat. He was too afraid to open his eyes, too afraid to even move should the pain start up again.

"Luke… ake…" Luke felt a soft hand touch his cheek. "Wa… up…" Luke cracked his eyes open, his head throbbing. "Luke, wake up," he heard again. Luke opened his eyes fully to see Tear leaning over him. He was so disoriented that he didn't even notice how she was so close that she was practically laying on top of him. Tear moved back as he sat upright.

"Ah, my head… What just happened?" he asked. He looked around, surprised to see nearly everyone huddled in a tight circle around him. That is, everyone except Kratos. Luke saw the man standing a few feet away, his back facing the group. He seemed to be ignoring them.

"You were hit by that monster's tail," Sheena said. She was covered in dirt and a little bit of blood — his blood? — next to him, her head turning to look at the ground.. "I'm sorry, it was my fault. I should've been paying more attention."

"The spikes on the monster's tail were coated in a unique poison," declared Jade. Luke looked up at him, unable to read his expression. It was strangely blank considering the man's personality. "Kratos was able to remove the poison and heal the wound."

Luke paled. "Kratos… healed me?" he asked. Jade nodded.

"The poison shouldn't have been too painful, though," the fonist continued. "It looked like a fast-acting neurotoxin, one that causes immediate paralysis and deadening of the nervous system." He paused, studying Luke carefully. "You shouldn't have felt a thing."

Luke gripped his arm tightly, remembering the burning pain he had felt. "No, that's not right. It did hurt. It felt like my head and arm… no, like my whole _body_ was on fire." He looked at Kratos again. "What did you do to me?"

Kratos didn't respond.

Luke's brow furrowed. "Hey, Kratos," he called as he slowly rose to his feet. "What did you do to me?"

There was still no answer.

Luke walked up to Kratos and stood in front of him, his mouth open and ready to ask again when he stopped. The man's eyes were narrowed, but there was a bit a fear etched in them too. Luke backed up and followed the path of his gaze. The monster lay before them, its body torn and battered from the fierce battle. It was still taking in shallow, rushed breaths, making Luke think that it wouldn't last much longer. He placed his hand on his sword and walked towards the beast, ready to put it out of its misery, when Kratos' strong hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"What are you doing?" Luke demanded as he turned to Kratos. He already didn't like the guy as it was, and now _this_?

Kratos remained silent, still watching the monster. Luke was about to ask again when he heard a noise, a voice so quiet that he would have missed it if Kratos hadn't stopped him.

"Scion… of Lorelei…"

Luke shuddered. The voice was deep and sounded like rocks being pulled across sandpaper. It was also coming from right behind him — right where the felled monster lay.

"We… have found you…" the monster continued. Luke was certain that it was the monster now. He saw the creature's eyes flick to him as it spoke and noted the large gasping breaths that it took between every few words. "We found you… and now… we will not stop… we will destroy you…"

Luke was frozen. "Destroy… me?"

"We will… destroy—" _ Shhiiink! _The monster was cut off as the mercenary plunged his weapon into its skull, silencing it permanently. Kratos ripped the sword out of the carcass, wiping the blood on the beast's own hide before sheathing it again. He turned to Luke.

"Are you coming? The pilot is still in danger." Kratos looked him steadily in his eyes. His gaze was so fierce and strong that Luke forgot about the fear he had seen in them earlier.

Sheena threw her arms out and cried, "So we're just gonna ignore the fact that a random monster just attacked us and spoke in our own _language_ just a second ago? Don't you think that's a little bit of an issue here?"

Jade frowned. "Kratos is right. We will have to think about the monster after we save the pilot and the flying machine. There are still people whose lives depend on us in St. Binah."

"Yeah… You're right, Jade," Luke muttered. But the idea of a monster specifically seeking him out wasn't sitting well with him at all. "The faster we do this, the faster we can figure out that." He nodded to Kratos. "Let's go."

-(-)-

The wind whipped and tore at the group as they approached the large cliff. They were on a precarious ledge with a steep wall on one side and a long fall on the other. The sun was hot on Luke's back and he could feel the sweat pooling in his shirt. He was exhausted from the trek and the heat and he wanted to just finish the job already and drink a nice, tall glass of ice water from the inn back in Sheridan. Luke sighed and looked up at the flying machine. The pilot needed their help first.

"Lu-uke!"

Luke glanced to the other side of the canyon and grinned when he saw Guy. The swordsman was waving his arm to Luke, who returned the favor.

"I don't think this is going to work, Luke!" Guy called. "The wind is too strong!"

Luke frowned. "Yeah, I know, but we don't have a lot of time left!"

"This wouldn't be a problem back in Sylvarant," Sheena muttered. "I could just call Sylph, ask her to stop the winds, and — _BAM_! It'd be done and over with."

"But this isn't Sylvarant, Sheena," Jade chided. "And at another time, I would love to sit and discuss these spirits of yours, but at the moment —"

"I think we've got bigger problems!"

Genis was pointing a raised finger to the face of the cliff. Luke could see the way the airship was rocking back and forth dangerously on the end of the ledge and it worried him. If they didn't get the pilot down soon, he'd be a goner.

There was a flash of bright unearthly green, momentarily blinding Luke. He squinted his eyes against the light to focus better. Multiple lights had gathered near the face of the cliff, all shining a radiant emerald light. Luke noticed to his dismay that the faster the lights spun, the harder the wind blew.

"We have to stop those lights!" he shouted to his friends. Luke grabbed his sword and ran forward, not really knowing what he was going to do; he just knew that he had to do _something_.

There was a light laugh that filled the air as Luke suddenly found himself six feet above the ground. The wind had begun to spin around him, lifting him up in a miniature cyclone.

"Gah! Get me down from here!" Luke screamed.

"_And after I took the time to come out here?"_ The wind laughed again as the cyclone vanished, dropping the teen not so gently on the hard canyon ground. "_Ingrate."_

"Wait, those lights…" Luke looked up at Sheena as he stood, wincing from the pain in his lower body. She stared up at the lights. "I know those lights. You're Sylph, aren't you?"

The lights shuddered for a moment before suddenly gathering together, forming a semi humanoid shape. _"Sylph? Wrong." _The lights floated toward the Summoner. There was a long pause and Luke got the feeling that he — she, it, whatever — was smiling at her._ "It's Ventus, actually."_

Jade stepped next to Sheena, gazing at the illuminated form. "The Sentient Spirit of Wind?"

"Ventus" gave off light, melodious laugh that rang in Luke's ears. _"Yes, the Sentient Spirit of Wind. She called for my help." _He gestured to Sheena. _"So, my dear, what can I do for you?"_ he asked sweetly.

Luke thought he heard Zelos grumbling behind him but he ignored it.

"Please, Ventus," Sheena beseeched. "I ask of thee to cease your great winds so that we may rescue the man in that ship."

The figure turned towards the cliff before raising a "hand," or whatever it was. To Luke it just looked like a green colored blob, but he assumed it was a hand of some sort. The Spirit spoke.

"_Mie neu."_

The whole canyon grew still. Not even a light breeze blew by anymore. Luke heard a heavy groan and looked up at the Albiore. The machine was tilting, leaning closer to the edge that it had been.

_No way… the wind was supporting it the whole time? _Luke blanched. _Then, that means it's going to_…

"Kratos, wait!" Colette shouted.

The Angel had leapt forward and launched himself into the air, speeding up towards the machine on his vibrant wings. He circled the craft briefly, looking for an opening, before disappearing inside. Luke palmed the handle of his sword. Seconds ticked by, then minutes, the machine tilting further and further over the edge. Luke felt sweat forming on his brow, not from the heat but from the anticipation.

_CRACK!_

Pieces of glass fell around the cliff from the shattered windshield. Luke had to jump back a few feet to avoid getting hit by the shards.

He saw Kratos land gracefully next to him, holding an injured man in his arms. The pilot.

Luke grimaced. "Is he… okay?"

Kratos hummed in affirmation, bending down to reposition the man. Luke could see better just how badly wounded the man was. His thin short-sleeved shirt was torn and dirtied, covered with caked blood. He had two gloves that used to be arm length; now, one of them barely covered his wrist and hand, and the other wasn't much better off. His white pants were now a muddied brown, a combination of smoke, dirt and a little blood. There were tears along the sides of his legs and long gashes visible through the fabric.

Luke frowned. "If we could've gotten to him just a little sooner…"

He felt a hand graze his forearm and glanced down to see Tear standing next to him. "But we saved him. That's what matters."

"What about the hoverdrive?" Sheena asked.

Kratos shifted the pilot in order to show them his open hand. There was a small oval stone in it. It shone with an iridescent yellow-green hue.

"I retrieved it while I was in the ship," he stated, standing back up. "That craft is too unstable to try to lower it now. It's going to fall. Soon."

"_Oh, well done,"_ came Ventus' voice. _"You successfully rescued both the pilot and that little stone." _The lights hovered near Luke, but the teen got the feeling "it" was looking at Kratos. _"Well, Lorelei, will you be going?"_

Luke blinked. "Lorelei?"

Ventus turned to him. _"I don't like saying the whole thing. 'Scion of Lorelei's Power,' 'Fragment of Lorelei's Soul;' it gets old after a while."_

"Well, don't call me Lorelei, that's too weird," Luke grumbled.

Ventus chuckled that song-like chuckle and waved, watching the group begin back towards the entrance. _"So, Luke _—_ is that better? _—_ I wish you the best of luck. Both of you."_

-(-)-

Luke smiled upon arriving in Sheridan. "Finally!" he exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.

"We made it back safely, Master!" Mieu agreed, zipping around Luke's head. Luke reached up and caught the creature in both hands, holding it close to him.

"Jade and I will go ahead and talk to Iemon about the flying machine," Guy announced. He was holding the small stone — the flightstone, Luke realized now — in his hand. "Kratos, can you take Ginji to an inn?"

Kratos nodded. "Of course. Though, my healing artes aren't strong enough to heal him completely. He needs an expert."

"I'll come with you then," Tear suggested.

"You're going with Kratos? To an inn? By yourself?" Luke bristled at the thought. What if that old man did something to her, hurt her, took _advantage_ of her? It's not like he didn't trust her… but he certainly didn't trust _him_.

"Luke, the pilot needs help," Tear rebuked. Her tone was firm and Luke could tell he crossed a line. "Now just wait here with the others until we come back." She stalked off in the direction of the inn, Kratos following her with the injured pilot. Luke ignored the sour look on the man's face.

Guy waved to Luke as he and Jade followed. "We'll be back soon, ok? Don't do anything stupid."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I won't." Once the two were out of sight, he sighed. "Now what?" he asked the others.

Colette shrugged. "I think… maybe we should eat."

"Yeah," Sheena agreed. "We have to rescue the people in St. Binah and all, but we can't do anything until that machine is up and running."

Luke considered the idea for a moment when suddenly an unearthly growl was emitted by his stomach. He laughed, embarrassed. "Yeah… maybe food is a good idea… Let's go to the inn, maybe they have something — woah!"

Luke had turned around suddenly only to smack into the person next to him. He fell flat on his backside, and looked up at the person, ready to apologize. He froze, his mouth falling open.

"_Asch?_"


End file.
